Stadt und Haus - New Architecture from Berlin

I didn't know that a Gallery of Australian Design had opened in Canberra - but it has, at Commonwealth Place, Canberra. The Gallery of Australian Design is a partnership between the University of Canberra, the National Museum of Australia, the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects and the Australian Institute of Architects. So there you go.

The reason I found out about this new gallery is there is an interesting exhibition I'm going to see this weekend called Stadt und Haus - New Architecture from Berlin. The exhibition notes describe the idea behind the show:

'Berlin has managed to transform its cityscapes und architecture dramatically during the last decades. This special exhibition concentrates on a selection of more than 40 different architecture projects in Berlin – hotels, apartments, shopping centres, interior design and urban planning in the 21st century. 

When one looks back upon the past years of Berlin’s urban development, the individual buildings may seem not so glamorous at times. This may result from the overly hasty development and the resultant planning pressure demanded by the reunification of the city. The discipline of urban architecture, often equated with urban buildings – which indeed comes very close to the concept of urban architecture – is what determines Berlin’s new urban face. Whereas Paris and London rely on the medial effect of solitary buildings, Berlin shines with everyday buildings.'

I first visited Berlin in '98 and then again around 9 years later. The city had changed beyond belief in that short space of time. I love Berlin for it's buildings both old and new, the character of the people, and that incredible history. It is a city of hidden beauty, where anything goes and nothing matters. I can see myself living in that city one day...