Propositions

In class I discussed the idea of researching the multiple city centers of Berlin as a result of being two cities for 50 years. On this altar I would place objects traditionally associated with Western Europe's city centers:

• Feet
• Bicycles
• Classical facades
• Cobblestones
• Modern shopping
• A museum or two

Along the lines of researching these centers, I'd be interested in following these lines of inquiry:

• The demographics of each
• If there was a restructuring of the use between these centers after the Wall came down
• Whether they are currently competing for dominance
• Varying architecture between modern purposes and their relative location within the city
• Effects of the lack of a single city center
  
• Current plans for the historic city center, specifically the site of the Palace of the Republic
  

I am also interested in following a more specific architectural inquiry into the city as a whole. This would entail studying varying building forms and styles in the modern age, as well as tracing the history of architectural ages as the affected the feel of Berlin. There would be an obvious study of each side's reaction to post-war Berlin and what was done with historic buildings on either side as well as the varying forms buildings took between the two cities. I am most interested in how this affects a unified architectural feel of the city, or if there even is one. On this altar would go:

• Then and now pictures
• Blueprints
• Wrecking ball
• Cranes
• Asbestos
• Concrete
• Steel
• A book of zoning laws

Even more specifically, I think it would be worthwhile to study buildings that were historic or present cultural centers like concert/music halls, theaters (movie and stage), museums, parks, and monuments.

I also am interested in Michael's idea of fringe cultures in Berlin and their locations in relation to the Wall and their displacement after 1989. Read his blog for a more thorough write-up.