Passers-by explore the new passage between Friedrichstrasse and Oranienburger Strasse Photo: Charles Yunck
From Hildburg Bruns
A new neighborhood is awakening: the first shops in the Tacheles district have opened. Rewe and Rossmann deliver basics for a new life and work in a legendary place.
Later there will be around 45 shops and restaurants. They are distributed on the ground floor and basement between Friedrichstrasse and Oranienburger Strasse. They lie on an open passage (12 m wide, 150 m long). Golden flashlights outshine them, green tendrils hang from bridges.
Entrance to the passage from Friedrichstrasse. This is where Starbucks comes in Photo: Charles Yunck
Among other things, a showroom from the Spanish car brand Cupra, the steakhouse “The Dry Gin & Beef” from the Stuttgart restaurateur Michael Wilhelmer, and Starbucks right at the Friedrichstrasse entrance will be moving in.
The “Brooklyn Fitboxing” sports studio and a branch of the “Apló Greek Kitchen” (Greek specialities) chain will be located on the new, leafy Aaron-Bernstein-Platz in the middle of the passage.
The historic Friedrichstrasse passage around 1923 with a view towards Oranienburger Strasse. During World War II it was largely destroyed by bombs Photo: Architecture Museum Berlin
The passage has a historical predecessor: opened in 1908, a national event. It is the first building in Berlin to be constructed entirely of reinforced concrete – crowned by a 48 meter high dome. There were around 100 shops – but bankruptcy had to be filed after just six months.
In 1909 another department store was opened, later AEG presented its products here.
The building complex was damaged during World War II. The GDR let the rest fall into disrepair, demolished more parts from 1980!
The ruins of the passage, the former Kunsthaus Tacheles, is a listed building. It is now being prepared as a photo museum, opening in September
Only the ruins on Oranienburger Straße remained, and from 1990 it became famous as the Tacheles art house. It retains its damaged facade (heads broken off, bullet holes) but the interior is being renovated for the Swedish photo museum Fotografiska.
Opening in September.