2023-08-29 18:07:37
On Sunday, the America Memorial Library gets a small extension, the AGB PopUp. For the always overcrowded Berlin institution, this is a big event that will be celebrated all day long, and Senator for Culture and Social Cohesion Joe Chialo has announced his presence. But now all of this is being eclipsed by a message from Chialo’s administration, which is intended to put an end to long-term complaints and annoying insecurities. The senator announced on Monday in the House of Representatives that Quartier 207 in Friedrichstrasse, previously known primarily as Galeries Lafayette, can become the new location for the Berlin Central and State Library (ZLB). Volker Heller, Director General of the ZLB, immediately spoke of an “opportunity of the century for Berlin”.
All repairs only patchwork
The most important goal that has been fought for in Berlin since the reunification of the city would thus be fulfilled: the Central and State Library Berlin could finally be merged. The two locations of the America Memorial Library on Blücherplatz, the western headquarters opened in 1954, and on Breite Strasse, the city library for East Berlin, inaugurated in 1966, each have partial collections that are transported back and forth by shuttle for lending. In addition, they have both become too small, the structural condition shows serious defects, individual repairs mean only patchwork. And the AGB pop-up building on Blücherplatz is only planned for five years, as a support structure.
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Some ideas for solving the problems have been circulating for a long time. In 2015 and 2016, 14 possible locations were examined and compared in terms of location and profitability, one was the former Tempelhof Airport. The decision was made in 2018 for a new building on Blücherplatz, the cost calculation for which grew, and then the 2022 project was even removed from the financial plan as a cost-cutting measure. The start of construction was supposed to be in 2026, and completion was not expected before 2035.
In the heart of the city
Quartier 207 has not yet been the subject of public discussion, but as the press spokeswoman for the ZLB Anna Jacobi said on the phone on Tuesday, this location was of course checked before the culture senator informed the MPs on Monday afternoon. Joe Chialo used big words: “This is a unique opportunity and a strong sign of change for Berlin.” The location, said Chialo, offers ideal conditions for a contemporary library in a metropolis, “and right in the heart of the city”. The building would be much more sustainable than a cost-intensive new building and ready for occupancy sooner – as early as 2026.
According to the cultural administration, the idea was developed in exchange with the owner of Quartier 207 Tishman Speyer. With four basement floors and seven upper floors, all required room types can be accommodated in the building. It is also said that the usable area, at a good 35,000 square meters, is slightly above the determined need for space. According to Anna Jacobi, 34,000 square meters were calculated – however, the external storeroom in the Westhafen would still be needed, in which media that are borrowed less often are kept.
Quartier 207 on Friedrichstrasse has been owned by the New York real estate company Tishman Speyer since February. The Americans had taken it over from the German Allianz group. Nothing is known about the purchase price. But one can assume a three-digit million amount. In any case, the Munich insurer acquired the Q207 shortly after the financial crisis for 125 million euros. For the American company, which also owns New York’s Rockefeller Center, the acquisition meant an expansion of its presence on Friedrichstrasse. He’s also owned Q205, two blocks away, since the mid-’90s. This, however, with a break of eight years.
A good mixture
How the company would deal with the luxury department store Galeries Lafayette, which opened in 1996, was unclear for a long time after the purchase. Even before the takeover, it was repeatedly whispered through the city that the French would like to say goodbye to Friedrichstrasse. Since then, the department store business hasn’t gotten any easier.
In any case, Tishman Speyer described the acquisition of the Q207 in early 2022 as an “excellent opportunity to comprehensively modernize and reposition high-quality office, retail and residential space in a prime inner-city location”. When asked at the time, Florian Reiff, Germany head of Tishman Speyer, explained that it was a matter of “finding the right mix for Quartier 207 and the people in Friedrichstrasse”.
The Berlin Central and State Library Foundation promises a good mix for people of all ages and biographical backgrounds. With more than 3.5 million media from books to films, from prints to vinyl records and 1.5 million visits a year, it is the largest public library in Germany.
In his statement, the head of the library, Volker Heller, points out that the Q207 was originally designed by Jean Nouvel as a media house. The architectural gem is perfectly suited to take on this role for Berlin. The culture senator Joe Chialo also called the conversion of the building complex as a library “a real benefit for the residents on Friedrichstrasse”. This stretch of road has been a hotly debated area over the past three years, whether with or without a car, with or without strollers. He would indeed be assured of an influx of people through the library public.
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