Bauhaus - Origins of Modern Design

On the first day of our south Germany excursion we visited the Bauhaus. This was one of the founding schools of modern design. This building, done by Walter Gropius, shows the type of design produced here. The modern movement was a search for an international style; Here you can see the stripping down of ornament and the very basic exterior colors.

These windows were operable by pulling a small chain. The building was built much more for looks than function. Walter Gropius was mainly concerned with getting the design work out to the public; So in designing this facility he ignored many rules that would have allowed the building to function better as a school/workshop.

This is one of the Master's Houses, houses where the senior members of the faculty were allowed to live. They were designed in the same international style as the Bauhaus School. I was surprised at the small sizes of the rooms, although when put into perspective these buildings must have been cutting edge for their time period (1920's).

The Berliner Dome

The massive scale of the Berliner Dome is the first thing that jumps out at you. As you move closer you can begin to see the many detailed carvings and sculptures. The massive concrete columns reinforce the structures monumentality.

The interior of the church was quiet amazing in both it's size and detail.

The lower level is the crypt for many of the royal family. It was somewhat strange to be walking around these coffins.

Then finally from the the basement to the roof. The view was amazing, although my fear of heights almost didn't allow me to make it.

A Visit to the Embassy

Today we had a chance to go to the area of the city in which many of the embassies are located. The first one of interest was the Mexican Embassy the large concrete pillars give it a very monumental quality. This type of design is used heavily in by Mexican designers due to the strong lines created by dark crisp shadows. At night, the design begins to take on the appearance of flag waving in the air.

The next set of embassies we saw were a series of Nordic Embassies. These many nations have such high respect for one another they decided to create one area in which all Nordic embassies could share. This area is wrapped in a wall of copper louvers. These nations all share similar architectural traditions which is apparent in the work.

Sans Souci

Possibly the most awe inspiring site I've seen thus far has been the royal retreat, Sans Souci. Translated from French, Sans Souci means No Worries. After WWII, many of Germany's historic structures were decimated into little more than rubble. Currently a number of these buildings have been rebuilt to look as though they were authentic; none of which have the gravitas of an original. Sans Souci is one of the few original buildings that survived the war.

It is amazing to see the detail craftsmen were able to achieve, without the use of modern tools. These types of structures took many years to complete. Whereas today even the largest of undertakings are completed in less than 10 years.

The royal guest house is located further into the gardens, and is almost as breath taking as the main palace.

Big Weiner Man

I didn't know that the US flag had so many different uses!

Fun in the Street

Saturday was our first opportunity to explore the city on our own. While walking around we stumbled upon some kind of fair. It was filled with street performers, fresh fruit and juices, and many different kinds of food. Then, as fate would have it, I got pulled into a street performers show.

A young British lady was juggling knives whilst hanging upside down. I was the one to throw her the knives. It was really neat to see some of the variety Berlin has to offer.

First Couple Days in Berlin

Sorry for the lack of posts so far, but the first few days have been fairly hectic. Here are the highlights so far. But first I just want to make a few observations about the city of Berlin.

- Bikes, Bikes, Bikes - The first thing I noticed about Berlin was the amazing extent to which this country goes to be green. The easiest thing to notice, in that regard, is the astronomical number of bikes you see on a daily basis. I have also been pleasantly surprised by the types of people who used bikes as a primary method of transport; to be simple, there is no type. You can see everyone from businessmen in suits to gypsys in rags all peddling away.

- No A/C anywhere - Being from the US this has been kinda crazy. The first couple of days have been pretty hot so needless to say it could be pretty uncomfortable at times, although a cold front has started to come in and it is already feeling much better.

- Man's Best Friend - From what I have seen, Berliners can take their pets with them just about anywhere. Ex. When we went to the grocery yesterday there was a huge German Shepard laying just inside the entrance where his owner had tied him. Also many dogs I have seen are not even on a leash. The whole atmosphere is much more relaxed than in America where many of the laws seem to be in place to prevent litigation.

- No Ice for You - A large majority of Berliners drink very little ice in their drinks (I'm talking like 1 maybe 2 small pieces of ice). This has probably seemed worst due to the unusually hot weather.

Now to my favorite stops so far.....

Right next to where we are staying is the Holocaust Memorial designed by American architect Peter Eisenman. The memorial is a field of these large monolithic concrete boxes that each vary height allowing visitors the opportunity to experience the space on a few different levels. When I first saw a picture of this memorial while still in the US, to be honest, I thought it was OK; After being able to experience the space, it has started to grow on me. I have a whole new appreciation and understanding of what the architect was trying to accomplish.

The way this memorial is arranged reminds me of the cemeteries in south Louisiana.

The Berlin Hauptbohnhof is one of the largest train stations in Europe. It is a mult-leveled structure that is covered by a large glass and steel canopy. I found the details of the glass to be very interesting.

We also visited the Reichstag Dome by British architect Norman Foster. It was nice to be able to get up so high and see a large majority of the city. The dome was recently rebuilt after the original was decimated in WWII.

The Akademie der Kunst (Academy of Art) by German architect Gunter Behnisch is an amazingly hectic building, but you really wouldn't notice from the outside.

Those are just a couple of my favorites in the brief time we've been here. Stay tuned.