West Berlin visions in architecture from 1945 to 1990

From December 2018 until January 2020, the Berlinische Galerie is implementing the digitisation project “West Berlin Visions in Archi-tecture from 1945 to 1990” with funding from the Federal Ministry of Education and Research. This support has made it possible, for the first time, to conduct research into a selection of architectural ideas designed for West Berlin during that period but never implemented. The material is being digitised and placed online for critical reappraisal. In addition, striking examples will be displayed here at regular intervals to refresh memories.
Architect Manfred Schiedhelm illustrated his ideas for urban design with sketches, drawings and comics. They integrate existing structures and highlight proposals for sharing urban space. He was critical of contemporary urban and traffic planning, pointing out the importance to pedestrians of the public street as a community site. By contrasting private cars with public transport, he drew attention to various aspects of solitude and community. The series “Pulloverwesen” is a humorous example of how different beings can share a limited space, in this case a piece of paper or a pullover.