Rebuilding of the Stadtschloss (Berlin Imperial Palace)

[-:Undertaker:-]

Yeah thought i'd bring this story to light that i've been following for a few years as some may be interested.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worl...ts-palace.html

Berlin begins reconstruction of King Frederick the Great's palace

After years of political wrangling and heated debate, Berlin has finally began the reconstruction of King Frederick the Great's Prussian palace, which was demolished by the Communists.

The Prussian and later German Imperial Palace prior to WWI.

Once one of the world's grandest buildings, the Berlin Palace – or Stadtschloss – was built in the 15th Century, but transformed in the 1700s as a home for the King Frederick.

The ornate Baroque building was badly damaged during the Second World War and demolished in 1950 – only to be replaced by East Germany's parliament building – itself now knocked down.

Eleven years ago parliament agreed to reconstruct the 18th Century palace, but until now the project was mired in a constant stream of delays and financial hold ups.

However, President Joachim Gauck laid the foundation stone of the building amid much ceremony on Wednesday, signalling the launch of a €590m (£500m) development, that on completion in 2019 will house a modern museum containing Berlin's collections of African and other non-European art.

Rebuilding the palace is a step toward "healing the wounds" left on Berlin's landscape by its Cold War division, said Peter Ramsauer, the cabinet minister responsible for construction. He described the project as overcoming "the architectural devastation wrought after the demolition of the old palace".

But it has not been met with universal enthusiasm.

Some former East Berliners had fond memories of the Palace of the Republic, the 1970s East German Parliament building, which also housed restaurants and a bowling alley but was considered an eyesore by most westerners.

"Berlin needs many things, but not a baroque palace," said Stefan Lie****, an opposition Left Party politician.

Renate Kuenast, a leader of the opposition Greens, criticised the architecture for being a simple copy of the Baroque original. "I'm a little sad that they didn't find a more creative model," she said. Others complained about the cost at a time of austerity.

Klaus Wowereit, mayor of Berlin, dismissed the criticism. "It would perhaps have been popular to say, we'll do without a palace in these times of financial crisis," he said. "But it is much more than recreating a historical building."

Anyway here's some updated pictures of the palace being built which you can find here - http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showth...390928&page=24 All credit to the image owners.

The recently demolished 'Palace of the Republic' that was built over the site by the socialists.


Overview of the site today.


An example of the facade has been erected on the site.


How the Palace is expected to look upon completion from the sky.


How the Palace is expected to look upon completion on street level.


Germany royalty: Prince and Princess of Hohenzollern honour the reconstruction work.

It's a great shame that the inside of the palace isn't being rebuilt either and is instead being filled with modernistic dross rather than the fittings of grand imperial apartments - which if rebuilt could have been used by the German Government for state occassions. Ah well, at least the outside will be rebuilt and hopefully one day the inside will be brought back too. It'd be nice to see the Imperial family restored to the throne too and the Republic ended if you ask me although I guess i'm asking too much - Germany ought to be a proud nation again.

Interesting the amount of grand buildings that are being rebuilt, it shows there is still hope for architecture rather than the depressing prospect of having to look at more and more Shards and Birmingham Central Library's pop up across the landscape. Germany and Russia are both leading the way is rebuilding what was lost under the communists who pulled it all down as it was deemed nationalistic, Christian, patriotic and conservatively cultured.

I'd like to see more of our lost beautiful buildings restored here in Britain, many of which were pulled down for no reason by left-wing councils following WWII - Liverpool lost a hell of a lot of them and they were replaced with some of the worst looking stuff you can imagine. Horrid. It'll be interesting to watch the Berlin Imperial Palace rise, and it's expected to be completed in 2019.

Thoughts on the restoration?

[GommeInc]

Looks quite good. Is this by any chance linked with Buckingham Palace? I remember a programme a while ago that looked at the architecture of the Palace and its links with other countries. There seems to be come similarities, such as the yellow-ish front which Buckingham Palace had at one point, until they changed the front to white (yet the yellow colour remains in the central courtyard).

I'd like to see this sort of style make a return, or a slight modern approach to it which isn't artistic or repulsive. It's bad enough we like to see old houses destroyed or turn to wreck and ruin in this country.

[Ardemax]

TL;DR: communists/socialists/left-wing thinkers = all the same and are all haters of classic architecture (not like us good old fashioned Tories)

[Inseriousity.]

Old fashioned exteriors with modern interiors can actually work quite well, York does it really well. I'd agree that it seems indulgent in a time of financial austerity though.