March 13, 2015 Potsdamer Platz - The Sony Center

Potsdamer Platz, or Potsdam Square, is a huge and important traffic intersection at the center of Berlin. It's named after the city of Potsdam and intersected one of the busiest roads in Berlin. After the destruction of part of the building during World War II, and the construction of the Berlin Wall during the Cold War, the building was left desolate. After the Berlin wall was torn down, major redevelopment projects have been in place to improve the construction, but more importantly, the resilience of the building. One of the major developments and additions to the Potsdamer Platz is the Sony Center, which houses Sony's European headquarters and is the main
business sector of the area. This addition is
characterized by magnificent architecture and the
latest and trending technology.

Potsdamer Platz
Apartments and Business meeting areas

Sony Center: At first glance

As the group arrived to the Sony Center, we were
accompanied by our guide Lukas Kronawitter, the co-author of Water Sensitive Urban Design. Lukas was a pool of knowledge (no pun intended) and gave us an overview of the history of Potsdamer Platz, as well as the Sony Center and his research in water and its importance in creating resilient structures and communities. Lukas explained to us that Potsdamer Platz was almost completely destroyed during the war and was divided during the construction of the Berlin Wall. After the wall was torn down, the construction of Potsdamer Platz became one of their major modern development ideas in creating a sustainable ecosystem for Berliners, business executives, and tourists alike. Upon entering the Sony Center, I was overwhelmed with enormous architecture and a sense of sophistication (this is the business sector of Potsdamer Platz). One of the interesting concepts about Potsdamer Platz is that the building contains shopping centers, business and meeting spaces in the Sony Center, as well as living space for locals who want to buy apartments in the area. This is a huge step towards the idea of modernization and integration. However, one of the downsides to this concept is that because the apartments are located within Potsdamer Platz, the prices of them are well over what the average Berliner can afford. This raises the question, "If Berliners can't afford these apartments, then who is living in them?". Foreigners that can afford these apartments have taken over the living space, and have ultimately created an unintended tourist environment.

Upper apartments. Below lies Zara.
Distance: TJ Maxx, Wohrl, and Rewe

Sony Center Dome

 There were many connections to Resilience that I experienced while exploring Potsdamer Platz. The building itself is energy efficient and was built with the ecosystem in mind. The temperature can be maintained with automatic operating windows, and the water that surrounds some of the areas acts as a cooling system during the warmer times of year. One fascinating characteristic that stuck out for me was the dome of the Sony Center. The building itself is not enclosed and can be entered by all sides via open entrances. However, the position of the building and the shading of the dome create a micro climate so that the areas inside can remain warm enough to shop, eat and do business. The Sony Center and Potsdamer Platz are truly their own Metropolis within the city of Berlin. The city continues to grow and expand with new buildings being built every day with resilience on the forefront of their design.

Sony Center: Panoramic view