Initial situation

Initial situation

With its world-famous ensemble of the State Opera, St Hedwig's Cathedral, the Royal Library and other prestigious buildings, Bebelplatz in Berlin is an impressive place with a great history. However, the public space is under-utilised and there is a lack of parking for visitors to the State Opera. A particular challenge is the underground memorial by artist Micha Ullmann, which commemorates the burning of books by the Nazis with a reading room sunk into the ground in the centre of the square.

The concept

The concept

Extraordinary technical skill will be required to bring the excavation pit for the new underground car park within a few centimetres of the historic and partially dilapidated foundation walls of the monuments. The underground Book Burning Memorial will remain in its current location.

The result

Through solution-oriented communication and an open mediation process with artists and politicians, it was possible to integrate the monument and build an underground car park with 450 parking spaces on two levels in just two years.

Berlin has been amazed by the sense of space in the underground car park, which also provides direct access to the Staatsoper. With a ceiling height of three metres, hardly any columns and invisible ventilation pipes, the structure was voted the best underground car park in Berlin in the 2010 ADAC underground car park test.

Best underground car park in Berlin

type of usage

public underground car park

project duration

2001 - 2004

parking spaces

450

floors

2

award

Berlin´s best underground car par 2010 (ADAC)