1979 | Věra & Vladimír Machonin
Wilhelmstraße 44, 10117 Berlin
The former building for the Czechoslovakian Embassy was constructed on the former Wilhelmplatz (later Thälmannplatz) in East Berlin between 1974 and 1978, and was inaugurated in February 1979. The design was created by Czech architects Věra and Vladimír Machonin, in collaboration with Klaus Pätzmann. The building features a square layout with 48-meter long sides. Its first floor extends significantly over the ground floor and entrance, giving the impression of a floating structure. Angular, dark mirrored windows lend a futuristic appearance.
In Berlin, the building is often humorously referred to as a UFO. Its features - specially designed furniture, including red and orange faux leather chairs and 1970s-style lighting - are still present and remains largely unchanged since the opening, as do the colorful wooden panels in the interior design. [T1]
Today, the building with the Czech Embassy and Czech Centre belongs to a network of a total of 22 Czech Centres worldwide. Together they form an active platform for connecting Czech ways of life with local cultures. [T2]
Sources: [T1] https://www.baunetz.de/botschaft/Tschechien_90642.html [T2] https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tschechische_Botschaft_in_Berlin#:~:text=Die Botschaft Tschechiens befindet sich,herausragendes Beispiel der Sozialistischen Moderne.
Photos: Eric Bauermeister
