Vandelay

The Vandelay collection · Germany

Contemporary architecture in Berlin

Explore Contemporary through Am Lokdepot and Berlin Metropolitan School. Compare the buildings and architects in our Berlin collection, then follow another local theme or discover this architecture in other cities.

12 buildings in this collection

Am Lokdepot, Berlin
Am Lokdepot Berlin

Selected Contemporary buildings in Berlin

Compare the photographs and follow the architect links to explore their work.

The local context

Contemporary in Berlin

Berlin's 24 Contemporary buildings map the city's post-reunification reinvention. The German Chancellery by Axel Schultes and Charlotte Frank set the tone — a monumental concrete-and-glass composition on the Spree that redefined the political centre. Frank Gehry's DZ Bank, with its billowing atrium hidden behind a restrained limestone facade, brought sculptural ambition to Pariser Platz.

The generation that followed pushed further. Max Dudler's Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm Centre introduced cascading reading terraces into a Humboldt University library. David Chipperfield's James-Simon-Galerie bridged Museum Island's neoclassical ensemble with a colonnade of slender concrete columns. Norman Foster's Philology Library at the Free University earned the nickname "The Brain" for its bulging, membrane-covered reading room.

At a smaller scale, Berlin's contemporary scene thrives on experimental housing: FAR frohn&rojas' Wohnregal exposes raw concrete structure as living space, GRAFT's Bricks Berlin stacks angular volumes in Schoeneberg, and J. Mayer H.'s JOH3 wraps a residential block in perforated aluminium screens. Renzo Piano's Potsdamer Platz complex rounds out the collection with two commercial landmarks that helped stitch the divided city back together.

Beyond this collection

Put the buildings in context

Read the general Contemporary guide for architectural context and examples from other cities. For a broader view of Berlin, explore the city’s other buildings and architectural themes.

Contemporary architecture guide ↗

All architecture in Berlin ↗

Contemporary in other cities

Continue exploring this architecture elsewhere. Each count refers to buildings tagged Contemporary in Vandelay.

More cities in this collection

Architects in this collection

Counts show their documented Contemporary buildings in Berlin. The links open each architect’s wider collection.

More architects in this collection (7)

More architecture in Berlin

Compare this collection with other themes represented in the city.

Before you explore

What does this collection cover?
Vandelay currently documents 12 buildings tagged Contemporary in Berlin. These counts describe our selected catalogue, not a complete inventory. A building can appear under more than one architectural theme.
Can I visit these buildings?
Inclusion in the collection does not mean that a building’s interior is open to visitors. Check the venue’s official website for current access, opening hours and booking requirements.
What does the app add?
Use the map to find documented buildings, open their stories and photo galleries, and see nearby places with live distances in AR. This page offers examples and context; it is not a fixed walking itinerary.

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Find documented buildings on the map, explore their stories and see nearby places with live distances in AR.

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