Only one place in Berlin perfectly combines the things I love most: architecture and landscape. I’m talking about the Hansaviertel, one of the most formative architectural projects of the post-war period in Berlin’s Tiergarten. It is West Germany’s counterpart to the GDR’s housing program around Karl-Marx-Allee (1951). Hansaviertel’s new residential buildings are distinguished by their modern materials, split-level designs, flexible floor plans and generous window fronts. The core idea of the IBA’57 “City of Tomorrow” remains highly relevant in Berlin today: creating affordable social housing. More than 50 architects from 14 countries realized their designs (1,300 residential units) in 1951. The list of names includes Alvar Aalto, Arne Jacobsen, Werner Düttmann, Max Taut, Egon Eiermann, Walter Gropius and Oscar Niemeyer. Herta Hammerbacher was the only woman (and the only landscape architect) who designed Hansaplatz, the heart of the Hansaviertel. As I walk through the district, I often wonder: who lives here? Who are the faces behind all these windows? Journalist Anna Frey and photographer Caterina Rancho were driven by the same curiosity. Together, they created the vibrant architectural guide “Hansaviertel Portraits,” featuring profiles of twelve residents who opened their doors to Anna and Caterina.
The residents featured in the book couldn’t be more different from one another. What unites them is their fascination with and attachment to the neighborhood and its history. There’s Daniel, who lives in the Eternithaus and has been a resident for five years. He offers architectural tours through the area several times a month. Then there’s Lina, the friendly architect who lives in the Bakema/van den Broek high-rise and developed a sound installation about the Hansaviertel for her master’s thesis. Hannes and Peter enjoy stunning views of the Victory Column (Goldelse) through the treetops of Tiergarten from the one-and-a-half-story window fronts of Pierre Vago’s glass high-rise. They appreciate the building’s varied living concepts, reflected in its diverse floor plans. The residents, and the new architectural guide, published by Distanz Verlag in October 2024, are as varied and visionary as the district itself. This guide has become the perfect companion for my regular visits to the Hansaviertel.
Text: Milena Kalojanov / Photos: Robyn Steffen
“Hansaviertel – Portraits” by Anna Frey and Caterina Rancho. 192 pages, published by Distanz Verlag in German and English.
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