VERVEMAGAZINE.IN 183First impressions
On arriving at the U-Bahn train station, the first
thing I noticed was that the streets are laid out
almost in a grid, and I could get around without
relying on Google maps much. I could lose
myself in the city and still find the way back to
my hostel.
Distinctive designs
While different time periods seem to
co-exist comfortably, there are certain areas
where you will find only Altbau constructions
(buildings built before World War II) —
probably the most sought after right now — and
others with only Plattenbau (mass-produced,
partly pre-fabricated) buildings from the East
German areas of the ’70s. Former East Berlin
has more Plattenbauten than West Berlin —
the socialist party had promised everyone
their own residences. Since they obviously
couldn’t expand beyond their limits, they built
huge complexes to house as many families
as possible. Modern, central areas like the
borough of Mitte and the public quarter of
Potsdamer Platz have sharp glass buildings and
museums. Neukölln (in the southeast) is by far
the best neighbourhood I’ve lived in; it gets its
charm from the mix of students, middle-class
families and people between the ages of 25 and
35 who want a more exciting lifestyle.
Photographer’s eye
The Plattenbauten are fascinating due to the
way that they were constructed. The word
basically means ‘plate-building’, and these
structures were built using prefabricated
concrete plates; it’s a super-efficient method.
If I had to pick something else that stood out,
it would be the iconic analogue photo booths
that dot the city, all of them almost identical
to one another. I also don’t think I’ve ever seen
so much graffiti anywhere else. It enveloped
almost every structure that I saw and has
become a part of the architecture.
Lasting memory
Having grown up and lived in Mumbai most
of my life, I’m used to a certain pace and the
coexistence of cultures and religions, as well
as certain restrictions. I found that Berlin is
exciting, fierce and unafraid — it lets you be
who you want to be.
-AS TOLD TO HUZAN TATA
FACING PAGE: AN ALTBAU BUILDING
THIS PAGE, TOP TO BOTTOM: GRAFFITI BECOMES A PART
OF THE CITY; A CLASSIC BERLIN PHOTO BOOTH