The vacant Internationales Congress Centrum (ICC) has been a talking point in Berlin since its closure in 2014. Since then, various parties have publicly voiced their desire for an economically viable restoration of the building and a reactivation of the entire site. A fresh look at the origins of this aluminum colossus shines light on important aspects of Berlin’s recent history. It reveals that the ICC is much more than an architectural icon. Crossing the threshold into its soft interior is to embark on a journey back to an era in which an optimistic vision of the future prevailed.
Essay by Lars Krückeberg, Wolfram Putz, Thomas Willemeit
7 MIN Read
They were outstanding art collectors, patrons and philanthropists and shaped the artistic life of Berlin and Germany during the imperial era with their commitment: the Jewish benefactors Johanna and Eduard Arnhold. The National Socialists erased their names from public memory, but a Berlin initiative is now working to right this wrong. In 2021, GRAFT founder Lars Krückeberg was comissioned by the initiative to design a memorial for the couple and the German-Jewish bourgeoisie in the Tiergarten district.
Essay by Lars Krückeberg
5 MIN Read