Berlin Photos - Round One

By Sunday night, just before the day rolled over to Monday, we were back in our own bed. The clocks in our house proclaimed midnight, but our bodies new they were seven hours off. It had been a long day. We had been traveling for over 24hrs and we were exhausted. You can imagine my pleasure then when Rebekah and I both awoke at five thirty sharp the next morning, and the next morning, and the next morning. Oh well, I can't complain. I've been getting a lot done the last three mornings and, although I don't see myself waking up at six for much longer, it has been nice.

The trip was wonderful, although the weather was not. We arrived on Sunday, the sixth of May, after loosing seven hours and a night of sleep as we crossed the Atlantic. The sun was out and the temperature was close to 25 degrees (Celsius). That was the last we'd see of that. For the next seven days it would rain with temperatures continually dropping. However each day there were brief moments of brilliant sunshine in which the camera came out.

IMG_6795, originally uploaded by reverb2005.

Postdamer Platz on our last evening in Berlin. The rain stopped just long enough to snap this photo. In a strange way it reminded me of Luis Baraggan's towers in Mexico city.

IMG_6405, originally uploaded by reverb2005.

Travertine Waves. We found this building on our way to the Bauhaus Archives, which coincidently was closed when we got there. I can't remember the architect, which was posted on a plaque on the front of the building. I thought it looked nice against the sky.

IMG_6742, originally uploaded by reverb2005.

Dutch Embassy. Designed by Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas of the Office for Metropolitan Architecture. After a day of visiting closed museums and not being able to find Gehry's bank, this was our first successful venture. The site planning here was very nice, it sits right on the Spree river, and the building unfolds to open up to the water. Formally it is very interesting, but I thought the proportions were strange, and the materials cold, however on the ground level at the service entrance Koolhaas introduces an isolated incident of wood siding. It's a brief moment, but the best part of the exterior of the building.

IMG_6333, originally uploaded by reverb2005.

Checkpoint Charlie. Not real sure what the allure of this site is, maybe it's just a little before my time. The actual checkpoint outhouse that sits on the site is a replication, but the photo opp of the Russian portrait couldn't be passed up.

IMG_6207, originally uploaded by reverb2005.

German Parliment. The Reichstag building designed by British architect and Lord, Norman Foster. Before visiting I thought the glass cupola atop the historic building was a bit of a gimmick. However, it offers stunning views of Berlin and is quite the experience moving up the helical ramp to the top of the observation deck, all the while looking down into the actual parliament house. We experienced the glass and mirrors on a rainy day, and for the first time I realized the importance of reflections. Some of the greatest architects of all times have spent there lifetime mastering day lighting techniques, which seems daunting in itself. However, in the event of a rainy day the experience must still be spectacular. Even though the sun was hiding, the overall experience of this glass dome and central spire of mirrored panels was absolutely dramatic.