Sunday 24 May 2009

haus der kulturen der welt












haus der kulturen der welt (house of world cultures) is a landmark mid-century modern monument and of my favourite architectural highlights of berlin. and that's putting it mildly. i think i'm probably in love with that building. berliners, who have nicknames for almost all famous sights in the city, call it 'the pregnant oyster'. and it does have quite a dramatic, curving silhouette. 

the building was designed by american architect hugh stubbins as american contribution to 'interbau 1957', a watershed post-war building exhibition in berlin, for which architects like le corbusier, alvar aalto and others planned and completed architectural projects. originally used as a congress hall, today the house of world cultures hosts a wide array of exhibitions and events, creating a platform for non-european art and culture in berlin. the programme is varied and ranges from art shows to concerts, film screenings, panel discussions and other media events. check out their website for events, further information on the history of the building and their mission statement. there's bound to be something worth seeing at any one time.

the house of world cultures also has a small bookshop and a café. in the summer months, you can sit outside - from the terrace you can see the boats on the river spree go past. and maybe you'd like to go for a walk in the tiergarten park. it's also easy to walk from here to the reichstag or brandenburg gate if you have plans to do so (i reckon a 15-20 min walk).

find it on john-foster-dulles-allee 10, 10557 berlin (tiergarten), phone (box office) 030-39 78 71 75, open mon-sun 10.00-19.00 h (exhibitions wed-mon 11.00-19.00h), for events see their programme

7 comments:

Chiara Ulivi said...

ahahah the "pregnant oyster"!!! Hi Kristina :) wonderful pictures, as always!!

Kaylovesvintage said...

oh Berlin you are so pretty

Schanett said...

ich freue mich immer, wenn ich auf einem blog orte, dinge sehe, die ich kenne!
und das ist jetzt grad auf deinem blog der fall!
da ich eine weile regelmässig in berlin war, hab ich mal im haus der kulturen eine art festival besucht.

Palmer and Co said...

Oh, fantastic indeed!

Polly said...

This building really is stunning, I love contemporary architecture, and it looks like this one is very arty.

natsumi said...

I love this architecture! Great design!!

Guusje said...

wowie

a berlin blog of the more personal sort.

if you are looking for a personal take on germany's buzzing capital, you are just about right here. i've been living in berlin for over ten years now and will update this site with anything i happen to come across, have liked for a long time or just feel like sharing with you. hope you enjoy!

take a look at the links posted below for more comprehensive overviews or useful info on berlin.

also take a look at my other blog no penny for them.

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