Walter Ulbricht (1st Chancellor of E. Germany) wanted everything torn down that he saw as "Imperialist" including the Cathedral across the street and even the Brandenburg Gate! The Soviets offered to help rebuild the Palace in the future as they did in the USSR with their palaces that were damaged during the war, but he rushed to blow it up with 20 tonnes of TNT in 1950 and there was no going back. The E. German Parliament Building (Volkskammer) was built on the site in 1976 but was torn down after reunification because the building was built using asbestos.
The West Germans also destroy historical buildings even today. I was given a tour of Göttingen by a German friend, and he pointed out several places where historical buildings were torn down, in order to help the economy or some similar excuses. And we do that in America too, not any better.
They wanted to make a visible "break" between the past and the present. Its the fault of the sozialist in the Parliament of Germany.They wanted to destroy the Project,because its a prussian castle.Everyone hates this side! Greetings from northern Germany
@@logikius Politicizing architecture instead of considering its historical/artistic value, the biggest mistake ever 🤦♂️ However, I must commend the Germans, because here in my country (Italy) a reconstruction work of this magnitude would never have been undertaken after so long!
@@rin_etoware_2989 It is simply what remains of the old Renaissance castle, which, although stylistically incongruous with the rest of the palace, it would have been better to rebuild rather than have the cold facade of the "on power" starchitect. Another nice option could have been the completion of the east side with the continuation of the 18th century project, but clearly the irrepressible desire for a modern touch always prevails 🤦♂️
Not really just look how it look today. They made out of a cultural building a modern building with modern white walls. Like you can not see the beauty of it anymore. You just look at it and you think it is ugly. The most of the outside what is finished now is made in a 21st century look from a modern artist. The most people hate this because we espected that it will look cultural again. We though it would look like the day it got built but it look way different. Just look the palace how it look today on the internet. Also not only modern walls, even modern roofs the only thing that is not complete modern is the inside and the thing that make the berlin palace so special from that I forgot how to say it in english (yay). If you just look at it today, you will think this is some modern court or something but you would never espect this is actually a Palace if you didn't know it before. ^^
Really??? A Disney Land, Los Vegas ersatz of a "restoriation" fill the hole in the German soul??? This is such an insult to the German history. It is just a concrete building, with a skin of material on the outside (only three of four sides at that) to make it look like the old palace. And the inside is just like a Holiday Inn structure for the infernal Humboldt Forum nonesense
I like it. Also the river front facade was just a group of smaller buildings squished together. It's good that they weren't rebuilt, the new forum has better volumetry now.
It also seems a bit odd to put a modern façade on one side. What is the use of that? Either one rebuilds the palace or not. But what do I know? I did visit the museum next to the new building and saw some of the recreaed details and also took a free magazine with a CD,and I am impressed by the historical recreation. Perhaps the parts near the river that are becoming the modern building were not artistically interesting anyway. It seems odd to me, but it is better than simply have a modern building on the site. Anyway there are here and there beautiful recreations in Germany.One I like is thet Residenz in Munich, or another the Frauenkirche in Dresden. Too bad that there are not more of such beautiful restorations.
@@schwanzuslongus1147 What are you talking about? The surrounding buildings are old. The modern facade is inexcusable: either have the courage to do it fully or don't.
The original Spree front wasn't really that memorable. It didn't really match with the other 3 facades, with factors like the Apothecary's wing which wasn't very symmetrical, being a later addition. But the new facade would be improved with some ornaments. It's a bit flat.
disgusting, they retired all the ornaments. It look like a social block of flats for poor peoples. I see that modern architecture is not changing our environment just in Italy but everywhere in Europe. So disgusting. There is no confusion to have between what this building was before and what it is actually.
I am so happy see this, I hope all cities in the world will reconstruct and recover lost heritage
Walter Ulbricht (1st Chancellor of E. Germany) wanted everything torn down that he saw as "Imperialist" including the Cathedral across the street and even the Brandenburg Gate! The Soviets offered to help rebuild the Palace in the future as they did in the USSR with their palaces that were damaged during the war, but he rushed to blow it up with 20 tonnes of TNT in 1950 and there was no going back. The E. German Parliament Building (Volkskammer) was built on the site in 1976 but was torn down after reunification because the building was built using asbestos.
The West Germans also destroy historical buildings even today. I was given a tour of Göttingen by a German friend, and he pointed out several places where historical buildings were torn down, in order to help the economy or some similar excuses. And we do that in America too, not any better.
@@jamesstuartbrice420 goetingen the city of knowledge
This makes me so happy.
Why that awful eastern facade though? Ran out of money?
They wanted to make a visible "break" between the past and the present. Its the fault of the sozialist in the Parliament of Germany.They wanted to destroy the Project,because its a prussian castle.Everyone hates this side!
Greetings from northern Germany
@@logikius Politicizing architecture instead of considering its historical/artistic value, the biggest mistake ever 🤦♂️ However, I must commend the Germans, because here in my country (Italy) a reconstruction work of this magnitude would never have been undertaken after so long!
Why did they have to add the modern bit to it? Why not simply recreate the original structure in its entirety?
That ugly modern facade is a disgrace
They just couldn't restrain themselves
@@rin_etoware_2989 It is simply what remains of the old Renaissance castle, which, although stylistically incongruous with the rest of the palace, it would have been better to rebuild rather than have the cold facade of the "on power" starchitect.
Another nice option could have been the completion of the east side with the continuation of the 18th century project, but clearly the irrepressible desire for a modern touch always prevails 🤦♂️
This helps greatly in filling a hole in the German soul.
Not really just look how it look today. They made out of a cultural building a modern building with modern white walls. Like you can not see the beauty of it anymore. You just look at it and you think it is ugly. The most of the outside what is finished now is made in a 21st century look from a modern artist. The most people hate this because we espected that it will look cultural again. We though it would look like the day it got built but it look way different. Just look the palace how it look today on the internet. Also not only modern walls, even modern roofs the only thing that is not complete modern is the inside and the thing that make the berlin palace so special from that I forgot how to say it in english (yay). If you just look at it today, you will think this is some modern court or something but you would never espect this is actually a Palace if you didn't know it before. ^^
Really??? A Disney Land, Los Vegas ersatz of a "restoriation" fill the hole in the German soul??? This is such an insult to the German history. It is just a concrete building, with a skin of material on the outside (only three of four sides at that) to make it look like the old palace. And the inside is just like a Holiday Inn structure for the infernal Humboldt Forum nonesense
I wonder if the fourth wall will be rebuilt too once they realize nobody likes that plain wall.
I like it. Also the river front facade was just a group of smaller buildings squished together. It's good that they weren't rebuilt, the new forum has better volumetry now.
It also seems a bit odd to put a modern façade on one side. What is the use of that? Either one rebuilds the palace or not. But what do I know? I did visit the museum next to the new building and saw some of the recreaed details and also took a free magazine with a CD,and I am impressed by the historical recreation. Perhaps the parts near the river that are becoming the modern building were not artistically interesting anyway. It seems odd to me, but it is better than simply have a modern building on the site. Anyway there are here and there beautiful recreations in Germany.One I like is thet Residenz in Munich, or another the Frauenkirche in Dresden. Too bad that there are not more of such beautiful restorations.
JamesStuart Brice it wouldn't fit the other buildings surrounding it and would have been even more expensive
Germans have a lot to forget
@@schwanzuslongus1147 What are you talking about? The surrounding buildings are old. The modern facade is inexcusable: either have the courage to do it fully or don't.
The original Spree front wasn't really that memorable. It didn't really match with the other 3 facades, with factors like the Apothecary's wing which wasn't very symmetrical, being a later addition. But the new facade would be improved with some ornaments. It's a bit flat.
Great job, Berlin! Now, if NYC could do the same thing with the Twin Towers.....
Fantastic.
Arquitecto obtuso... construyes algo que existe en TODAS PARTES, y estás OBVIANDO ALGO QUE ES ÚNICO.
Maybe time for an update today 12 June 2015 City Palace is celebrating topping up. Open to the public. How about a report on it.
They should have replicated all 4 exterior sides. Just leave interior atriums modern.
ii.. for modern.. !!!
disgusting, they retired all the ornaments. It look like a social block of flats for poor peoples. I see that modern architecture is not changing our environment just in Italy but everywhere in Europe. So disgusting. There is no confusion to have between what this building was before and what it is actually.
I wish the waterfront side would not be modern.
Bravo Alemania!