architectureinberlin

Thanks to everyone who made it along to the Dutch Embassy yesterday, apologies once again that it had to be a weekday, rather limiting it to people with flexible jobs.

A shame that photography is no longer allowed, and that we had to be followed around by a grumpy security man, but hey.  I managed to take some images when I went last year, and the external parts of the building are pretty easily accessible for that souvenir shot.

Tours as a group or as an individual are pretty easy to arrange, by contacting bln-receptie (at) minbuza.nl.  They need your name, date of birth and passport / ID card number.  Remember to bring your passport/ID card along with you, as if you forget it, you’ll have to try and persuade the grumpy security guard that your driver’s license is sufficient ID, while the group that you’ve arrived with chuckle at your own lack of organisation. Er, I imagine.

My ancient post, plus Flickr images.

A picture of that pot plant, for Katja, as I know she loves ‘em:

Very short notice, but if you fancy a guided tour of Rem Koolhaas’ Dutch Embassy next Wednesday at 1pm, I need to send them a list of who’s coming by late afternoon tomorrow (Friday 5th Feb).

For each person, I need name, date of birth and a passport or ID card number.

jim_hudson33(at)yahoo.co.uk

Well worth a visit.  If you want to go along some other time, you can email them direct at bln-receptie(at)minbuza.nl.

I know, I know…  I haven’t blogged for ages.  Excuses?  Loads, including the fact that I’ve been writing some actual paid-for writing, which I’ll mention again (when October’s edition of Blueprint magazine come out).   And I’ve been in London, where I’m always instantly thrown by all the traffic and people, and remain in shock for about a week on my return to lovely calm, quiet Berlin.

Anyway, what better way to return to blogging with some ever-untopical IBA buildings.  Some of which I’ve written about before, but I was just passing these on the way along Kochstrasse*, coming back from the Modell Bauhaus exhibition at the Gropius Bau (previously recommended).  So a bit of a ramble.

*at least one end of which has recently been renamed, confusingly, but I can’t remember what to.

A few months back I found myself sitting next to David Mackay, of MBM architects (a friend was designing his autobiography).  He was saying that the design of one of his  Kochstrasse buildings – this one in fact:

…was turned 90 degrees at a late stage, so that if need be, allied tanks could bypass Checkpoint Charlie and head up an alleyway between his building and Rem’s next door.  Not sure how this would have worked; it seems terribly narrow. And tanks are quite wide.

While I was musing on this, I took some photies of the back of the Koolhaas/OMA building.  I like the backs of buildings.  Especially the place they keep the bins – it sometimes tells you more about the architecture than looking at the front/insides does.  It’s an early one for Mr Koolhaas, but has some tell-tale details:

Note the sloping transome bar, obscured by some cabinets:

Will do the rest of this in parts, so that I can seperately tag them, as I’m anally retentive like that.  Back shortly.