LEGO ARCHITECTURE 21027 BERLIN User manual

Berlin
Germany
Berlin
Allemagne
Berlín
(Alemania)
21027

2
Berlin
Germany’s capital and cultural center dates back to
the 13th century and has shaped—and been shaped
by—many dramatic events in European history.
From humble beginnings as a medieval trading center
to its key role in the rise of the Kingdom of Prussia and
modern Germany, Berlin has experienced wars, staged
revolutions, been divided in two, lost and regained its
place as the country’s capital city.
This richly textured history is still there to be seen in the
city’s skyline, which manages to combine important
historic symbols with cutting-edge architectural
statements.
[ “Berlin is the newest city
I have come across.
Even Chicago would
appear old and
gray in comparison.” ]
Mark Twain,
Chicago Daily Tribune, 1892

3
The Wall was both a physical barrier between West
Berlin and East Germany, and the symbolic boundary
between western democracy and Communism during
the Cold War. Started in August 1961, the wall was 96
miles (155 km) long and had a height of 11.8 ft. (3.6 m) in
the section that divided the city.
Little remains of the Berlin Wall within the city itself.
A double row of cobblestones traces its 3.5 mile (5.5
km) route through the city center, while the Berlin Wall
Memorial on Bernauer Strasse includes a preserved 197
ft. (60 m) strip of “no man’s land” where the wall once
divided the city.
The Berlin Wall
[ “Mr. Gorbachev,
tear down this wall” ]
President Ronald Reagan
(1987)
The Berlin Wall

4
BerlinTVTower
If you want to enjoy a spectacular 360° view of
Berlin’s skyline then take a trip up the 1,207 ft. (368 m)
tall Berlin TV Tower (Fernsehturm Berlin). The visibility
from the rotating visitor platform in the middle of the
tower’s sphere can reach 26 miles (42 km) on a clear
day.
The tower consists of an 820 ft. (250 m) concrete shaft
upon which sits a seven-story sphere, crowned by a
387 ft. (118 m) red and white striped antenna mast.
Constructed between 1965 and 1969, the decision
to place the tower in the center of the city was as
much political as technical. The East German regime
needed a powerful transmitter to counter the growing
influence of Western TV and chose to make a bold
statement with a futuristic tower that would dominate
the Berlin skyline.
The first conceptual sketches of the tower were
drawn by Hermann Henselmann. He was also the
architect who had been given the task of modernizing
the East German section of the city. He saw straight
away the potential for the tower to become an iconic
centerpiece of his urban renewal project as well as a
symbol of the technological prowess of the socialist
state.
The Berlin TV Tower remains Germany’s tallest
structure and a popular destination for almost 1.2
million visitors every year.

5Berlin TV Tower

6
Deutsche Bahn Tower
Located on Potsdamer Platz in the heart of the city,
this impressive office block is part of the Sony Center
complex, the modernist symbol of the regeneration of
Berlin since German reunification in 1990.
With Berlin badly damaged during World War II and
divided by the Berlin Wall for almost 30 years, authorities
were determined that the regeneration of Potsdamer
Platz would re-establish it as a dynamic, modern
city. When Sony decided to erect its new European
headquarters in the square, the company employed the
renowned architect Helmut Jahn who designed an eye-
catching 338 ft. (103 m) semi-circular glass and steel
tower.
Opened in June 2000, the office is now home to Deutsche
Bahn AG, the German national railway company, and
is referred to as BahnTower. The building is the tallest
structure on Potsdamer Platz.
Deutsche Bahn Tower

7
Originally erected between 1864 and 1873 to
commemorate famous victories in wars against
Denmark, Austria and France, the Victory Column
(Siegessäule) was extended to its current height of 220
ft. (67 m) during the 1930s.
The sandstone column stands upon a base of polished
red granite and is crowned with a 27 ft. (8.3 m) high
statue representing Victoria, the goddess of victory
from Roman mythology. The column’s viewing platform
offers visitors a panorama of the city.
Victory Column
Victory Column

8
BrandenburgGate
The Brandenburg Gate (Brandenburger Tor) is one of
Berlin’s most important architectural structures and a
historical symbol all in one. The gate has been at the
heart of German and European history for over 200 years.
Commissioned by King Frederick William II of Prussia,
it was built as the grandest of a series of 18 city gates
through which Berlin was once entered. Designed by
architect Carl Gotthard Langhans and constructed
between 1788 and 1791, the inspiration for the gate came
from the entry hall of the Acropolis in Athens, Greece.
The gate itself is built in sandstone and consists of twelve
Doric columns, six to each side, forming five separate
passageways. Atop the gate is the Quadriga—a chariot
drawn by four horses driven by Victoria, the Roman
goddess of victory.
[“Ich bin ein Berliner.” ]
John F. Kennedy (1963)

9Brandenburg Gate

10
Reichstag
If there is a building in Berlin that symbolizes both the
city’s turbulent history and modern resurgence then
it is the Reichstag (Reichstagsgebäude). Completed
in 1894 after ten years of construction, the parliament
building witnessed the birth of German democracy, the
rise of National Socialism and the decay of the Cold
War period.
Severely damaged by a fire in 1933 and almost
completely destroyed during World War II, the building
was partially rebuilt during the 1960s, but remained
largely unused.
It was only with the reunification of East and West
Germany and the restoration of Berlin as the country’s
capital that a complete renovation of the building took
place. The renowned English architect Sir Norman
Foster combined the original historical façade with
modern architectural elements such as the spectacular
glass dome to create a modern seat of democracy for
the German Bundestag (parliament).
[ “Berlin is more a part
of the world than a city.” ]
Jean Paul,
(1800)