completed in 1876, this building housed a collection of fine arts, particularly of the German Romantic Period as well as some of the finest collection of 19th century sculptures.
One important work is "The Island of the Dead" by Arnold Bocklin which was located on the upper floors. standing there staring at it, there's a mysterious force seemingly pulling one from reality to the picture world, all is silent, except the sound made by the boat gliding through the dark, placid water, signalling an ominous destiny.
what lies ahead? there was not a clue except the distant cries from ravens deep in the woods...
other than works by masters of the contemporary era, Berlin has a number of old buildings dated back to the 1830s. the Museum Island is one such area which hosts such. Taking the S-bahn and getting off at the Hachescher Markt, it's only walking distance in reaching the Museuminsel. Records suggested that this island might well be the cradle of Berlin's history, and settlements began at 1244 at this very island.what could be better than housing some of the finest museum in Berlin?there are 5 musuems on this island, the Alte Nationalgalerie, the Altes Museum, Neues Museum, the Pergamonmuseum and the Bode Museum.
pls correct me if i've got this one wrong. believed to be designed by Renzo Piano, this building is situated at the Postdamer Plaz. like the control tower of an intergalatic spaceship, just wondering the type of functions held inside this space?
a massive lawn adjacent (from the look of it, quite manmade) to this long building which can be nice place to take a nap during those long, lazy afternoon.
designed by one of the most important master of modern architecture, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, this nationalgalerie expressed the essence of "less is more". the generous headroom, an entirely transparent skin, together with the bold structure are all the elements that made up this piece of powerful architecture.he died in 1969, and this was his last work, a monument to modern architecture.
the wall that once divided the east and west now becomes a statement of the past, marking an eventful era of the past.how many blood has shed?how many dreams were shattered?how many families were separated?all those are history now... and you can bring a piece of history home from the Checkpoint Charlie museum at EUR 7.00 for a piece of the wall...welcome to democracy.welcome to consumerism!
if you were awarded to design for a museum, what would you do? check the possible future exhibits and design a space that would suit these items? a more universal space which can suit all kinds of exhibition? or disregard the exhibits, and design a space that can speak for itself even without the exhibits?
sometimes the decision is not for you to make, but a request from the client. architects are mere mortals, and we do have limitations.
when i was in the Jewish Museum, i had the strange feeling of mismatch between the vessel and the exhibits. with the Museum exerting a solemn, and heavy air, the exhibits were without emotion and sometimes even lighthearted...
nothing wrong with that, maybe it's just me...
how the space was designed and how the windows were positioned was quite amazing.
an eyecatching piece of architecture by Daniel Libeskind. (the hyperlink takes you to his own website, which has a simple but interesting layout which is worth visiting also) "Between the lines" the theme used throughout in this project by the architect, to reflect the tensions of German-Jewish history.
from exterior to interior, there were numerous intrigue space to explore, how the planes met, where the lines were drawn, and how is a volume of space accentuated by depriving the space of light except at the apex of its height...
the museum alone is definitely not a piece to be missed if one is ever on the German soil. the exhibition gives a good account of the jewish history in the territory, however, there's some mismatch in the tone of the presentation of the exhibits and this piece of architecture.
time to talk about the hotel we stayed during our visit in Berlin.
The Q! Hotel in Berlin, winner of numerous interior design award, took what's wall and what's floor to a new dimension.
for the furnitre, floor finish, wall finish, or even ceiling finish, they were all covered with the same material, marmoleum floor covering by Forbo, and gave a seamless continuity where one can no longer distinguished the difference between one face from another.
the price is for one night is high, not unexpected considering the hotel is frequently visited by fashion desingers, celebrities.
definitely worth a visit if u can spend a night there, and btw, the breakfast they served is excellent!
