Prussian kings and German kaisers dominated the heart of Berlin from the 15th to 20th century. The Berliner Schloss, the Berlin palace was their  residence. Now the people of Berlin will have a Schloss of their own. The castle of the people will be known as the Humboldt Forum and will be rebuilt as a replica of the former Baroque building.

This modern contraption is an antipode to the elegance of what is to be built. However, it serves as a place to experience the construction of the building and it gives an idea of what the Humboldt Forum Foundation has planed.

When built in the years 1700 by architect Andreas Schlüter it became the most important Baroque building in Germany. Following the revolution and abdication of the Kaiser in 1918, the Berliner Schloss was used in many different ways, including a museum, which is what the Humboldt Forum will become amongst other uses as well.

The palace was hit during WWII. But not beyond repair – it was the ideology of the socialist regime of the GDR which decided to demolish the palace in 1950. What the communist party saw as a remembrance of a feudal system was finally destroyed with the help of dynamite. For years the empty space was a parading ground for the party. In 1976 the Palast der Republik, the Palace of the Republic  was built and served as the GDR’s administrative center and assembly chamber.  After unification that had to go too, because by the 1990s asbestos was considered bad for humans. History or asbestos, the marvelous Schloss was avenged. Since 2008 the heart of Berlin has been empty. Every summer the large lawn is a big attraction for Berliners. It is the second year some mysterious dreamer created a humongous heart on it. And the first summer an artist placed blue sheep on it…

A private initiative, the Friends of Berlin Palace, which was born in 1993 would not leave a stone unturned until it convinced Berliners of rebuilding the Schloss. Italian architect Franco Stella won the competition. With the rebuilding of the Berliner Schloss the spatial structure, views and relative proportions of the city of Berlin will be regained. An animation of the future result shows how it all fits together:

The name says it all: The Humboldt Forum, which is named after the famous German brothers Alexander and Wilhelm von Humboldt, will bring together culture and science and function as a place of knowledge. The concept seeks to juxtapose the Museum’s Island various European art collections with a non-European counterpart consisting of Berlin’s prominent East Asian, Indian, African, Central American and Oceania collections, which currently live hidden from the public eyes in fast depots.

The rebuilding of the palace is to commence in the immediate future. One problem persists: 63 million Euros are still missing. If you go to the Humboldt Box there is a vending machine, which does not sell you anything, but will take your donation and print you a receipt for the tax man!

Holy Shit Shopping takes place on December 11-12 in two locations,  Spandauerstrasse 2 and Karl Liebknechtstrasse 9-10. 12-7pm. You will find artists, designers and all sorts of other creatives selling their goods to the sound of DJs and live acts.

Trendmafia is an indoor market which will be on on the first three weekends in December (4/5, 11/12, and 18/19). 1pm -8pm. Location is the Underground station Bernauer Straße in Mitte. As the name implies this is a market for up and coming designers in fashion, jewellery, and home accessories.

Weihnachtsrodeo wants to be the coolest of all the markets. As it takes place on the last weekend before Christmas this can be your last minute chance to get your gift shopping done in a fun atmosphere. The location is HAUS UNGARN in Karl-Liebknechtstrasse 9.

Handmade Supermarket is another last chance market for your xmas shopping. On December 18-19 from noon to 8pm in Eisenbahnstrase 42 Berlin-Kreuzberg.

A small herd of hairy reindeer is now on show at SOMA, the current exhibition at Berlin’s Hamburger Bahnhof. You might think the reason for this is the Christmas season. Nope, that is not it. No jingle bells or Santas to bee seen. The story surrounding the exhibition instead is magic mushrooms, Siberian nomads, reindeer and their relationship with canary birds. It is all very amusing and confusing at the same time. I didn’t get it, but the animals seemed happy enough to be away from the cold from where they originally come from. Here they are putting on a lazy show in a warm museum accompanied  by canaries in four giant cages. Seems ok from a reindeer point of view. If the animals seem out of place, the installation of gigantic mushrooms does indeed remind one of contemporary art as we know it. However, the 12 reindeer don’t seem to mind the lack of real nature and the birds are chirping away, but to add to the total bewilderment of what is on display, just check out the the boxes with mice on the side of the reindeer enclosure as well as the refrigerators with mushrooms …

So far so good for artist Carsten Höller’s latest creation. Here comes the scoop. Are you looking for a present for someone who has absolutely everything? If that’s your problem, this is your solution. For € 1000 you and a sleeping partner of your choice  - or that couple, who you may owe an outrageous gift – can stay the night with the birds and the deer. Yes you can! This would be your bed in the middle of what used to be a train station before it became a museum (and a zoo). The point is to visit the museum at night and enjoy the smell of deer as you are trying to fall asleep. Oh, and the use of a designer bathroom custom built for the purpose of this event is also part of the deal. Breakfast will be catered by Berlin”s Hotel Intercontinental.

Interested? Bookings can be made through nachts@somainberlin.org. The show will be on until February 6th 2011.

It is quite impossible these days to image this area of Berlin as a piece of no-man’s-land with watch towers, barb wire and land mines as it was during the days of the former GDR. It has become a bustling neighborhood, with high rises full of offices and private apartments, a train station, shops etc. With a small ski run and snow, I find these historical days of horror even harder to picture. Why would anyone want to slide down a patch of snow in the middle of a hustling city? Because its fun! As of today until January 1st 2011 our local dare dare devils can steer a sledge down this hill.  It is all about looking forward, humor and problem-solving abilities, isn’t it??

Do you like what you see here? Well, that is me at my new salon.

Like the sign on the shelf above the mirror at “Salon Schneider” in Berlin Mitte predicts, “I am happy” when I leave. Happy with the cut, the high lights, and the blow dry. Svantje Schneider set up her own salon a year ago in Berlin Mitte. Having trained with Vidal Sassoon and than worked as an employee for 14 years, she finally decided to open her own shop. With only one assistant she styles her clients five days a week in her very casual beauty parlor. The salon is made up of a charming combination of coiffeur tools, junk market purchases and girly paraphernalia. There are couple of antique barber chairs, an old leather settee  in front of the wash basin, and what looks like half a row of cinema chairs is the waiting area.

Svantje has a pair of beautiful hands and she knows how to use them to put your hair in shape! Her prices are very competitive and she saves you from the usual hairdresser tam-tam.  She never tries to sell you designer shampoos or gels. Nor does she involve you in some silly conversations. You are allowed to have fun with her or quietly read your paper.

When you go, let her know “One Problem Less” has sent you …

Kochhaus just opened in Berlin Schöneberg and already feels a success. It is buzzing with people strolling around the various tables where all the ingredients for a particular meal – be it starter, main course or desert – are laid out. Everything is arranged in a very appealing manner in this well designed shop cum cookbook. Cookbook, because all you need for each meal is on that particular table. And not just that, it is portioned so all you have to do is stick it in your “meal bag”. Don’t forget the flyer with the preparation instructions.

I immediately liked the stylish, yet completely homely atmosphere. Especially in that part of Berlin, where style and elegance are few and far between. You have the hope that besides of being a great idea, it will educate Berliners a bit in things like taste – be it in food or ambiance.

The start-up team of five includes a chef, which insures the meal suggestions and measurements work. There will be 3-4 new recipes to choose from every week, and there will be around 20 suggestions in total to tickle your taste buds. All you have to do is pick the amount of groceries for either two, four or six people. You will also be told what each meal will cost you per person. If you don’t stock your basics like olive oil, salt and pepper, you can purchase those outside your meal package. The  cooking instructions are easy to follow. They come with images for each step and a little story behind the recipe. This is a business done with love for cooking and an eye for detail. My Thai chicken-coconut soup was absolutely delicious. Usually I would have had to purchase lemon grass to last me a month. Here I got one stick – enough for the soup for two. This makes Kochhaus a problem solver for single house holds or travelers in self catering apartments …

Last not least you will also be helped in choosing the wine for your course, which is also available in the store. But this is not all. Soon there will be a delivery service and cooking classes on offer as well.

See for yourself: Kochhaus, Akazienstraße 1, 10823 Berlin

Berlin is a promising metropolis not only for artists and ever more art galleries, but also increasingly for collectors. When Thomas Olbricht – a medical doctor by training, heir to an industrial family fortune, real estate tycoon, but most of all collector – needed a place to display his extensive private art collection, he simply had a building constructed which also houses several apartments next to the KW Institute for Contemporary Art.

The result is the Me Collectors Room Berlin (Auguststrasse 68; me-berlin.com), a two-story showroom  where pieces from his collection and the private collections of others will rotate regularly and are open to the public. Its first showing is “Passion Fruits” which will be on display until September 12th. 

“It’s no good to have your collection in storage somewhere, where no one can see it,” Mr. Olbricht said in an interview, “I don’t want to hide my art. I want to show it, so people can see it, and discuss what they see.” To that end the Collectors Room includes a spacious cafe and gift shop. There is no need not book a tour as it is practice with many of the other private art collections in Berlin. Me is open Tuesdays to Sundays, from noon to 6 p.m. There is also a fun children’s learn-about-art-programme – inquire  for it at the ticket office.

Art by big names like Cindy Sherman and Andy Warhol hang alongside that of lesser-known international contemporary artists. And the Collectors Room has a decidedly irreverent tone: One of the primary works in the opening exhibition is Kehinde Wiley’s giant Baroque-style portrait of Michael Jackson on a horse; another is a sculpture of phalluses that casts a shadow in the form of a human head.

What looks like common museum benches is in fact art by Jeppe Hein from Denmark. Just sit on them and they will make you smile. …NO, I am not telling what happens….

Upstairs, Mr. Olbricht, an endocrinologist, has displayed his own Wunderkammer, or Cabinet of Curiosities. It features items he’s collected over the years, from an Ecuadorean shrunken head to a tiny 17th-century ivory anatomical teaching model of a pregnant woman, whose organs and fetus can be removed.

I must say this is a very interesting addition to the neighborhood. The fact, that the space can be rented for private functions, makes it all the more “democratic”…

I commend two hotels in what was the former West of Berlin. These are places that are great value for money, conservative, no frills, just down-to-earth, nice and somewhat elegant hotels in the 4* plus region. Here I am thinking of the business traveler, the middle aged couple on holiday, the single lady:

Savoy Hotel
Fasanenstraße 9-10 , 10623 Berlin, +49 30 31103-0

This hotel lies a few minutes’ walk from the busy Kurfürstendamm, Berlin’s Western shopping street. My friends and relations have valued the hotel’s atmosphere and unobtrusive service. I have been for breakfast and I also loved both, the food and the red restaurant it is served in. Don’t expext a huge lobby, as it is tiny and tends to smell of  cold smoke due to the adjacent cigar bar “Casa del Habano” (which may be great for cigar lovers, less so for non-smokers). However, don’t let this deter you from an otherwise lovely hotel.

Next I say
Brandenburger Hof Eislebener Straße 14, 10789 Berlin, +49 30 21405-0

Also not far away from Kurfürstendamm on a quiet street. This is more of a  5* hotel that includes a renowned restaurant  - Die Quadriga which has again this year been awarded a  Michelin star. Its five stars and prices are more low key, compared with a hotel like Adlon (which is right by Brandenburg Gate, and my hunch is, they must wish they had a restaurant with a name like Quadriga…). I personally don’t like the Adlon at all and have friends that don’t like it much either, for that matter. But I have heard of people coming back to Brandenburger Hof again, and again  over the years.

Ok, lets go East.

Lets think ipod and pad, Web 2.0,  LCD, fitness and whatever else  ”us” ( may I include myself here..?) younger, modern art and fashion loving people enjoy. As a marketing professional I like and must support the brand extension of  Spanish shoe maker Camper. They came up with

Casa Camper, Weinmeisterstraße 1, 10178 Berlin, + 49 30 20003410

I went to see it the other day  - it has fun and functionality written all over it. You recognise it immediately from the outside as the blinds in each window have the room number in oversized digits on it. Located in the middle of Berlin’s vibrant Mitte, this is a contemporary, minimalist design hotel with a warm twist. Everybody was very friendly when I visited and all guests in the lifts, cafe etc seemed happy with their home from home. WLAN is available and free throughout the hotel. (I tend to hate and check out of places where this is not common practice!). The decor is a bit crazy and over the top –  that is the price you pay for all the other conveniences and healthy food,  as well as views of Berlin.

For couples with children I root for  the apartments in Hotel Amano, Auguststraße 43,  10119 Berlin, +49 30 809415-0

Also situated in the Mitte district, this hotel is nestled amongst galleries, boutiques, bars and cafes. When going for an apartment you get much better value for money and space. (The other rooms have the bath room right  in the room without door). LCD,DVD,  ipod, free WLAN are  standard. The decor may not be everybody’s favorite – but when coming with kids, you want them to be allowed everywhere . When I visited, the lobby had a bunch of happy 3- year olds waiting (and running around)  while their parents decided how to spend their day in Berlin. Upon checking with the staff, they did reiterate, that the Amano does indeed welcome families.
I, in turn thought that  the roof terrace does indeed make for a nice retreat after a busy day in town…

Now, Berlin has hotels galore and new ones are still being built  - so stay tuned and I will review some more…

Why is this a one-problem-less idea? Well, first of all because when it is so hot, you need to cool down and then, if you can have the benefits of ice cream without the calories, then you’ve got a problem less on your plate. But what I also like is the drive and enthusiasm of the young entrepreneurs behind this creation. Keep it up YouMunchy!!

Talking about shop windows and signs: this is one area where Berlin clearly lacks behind cities like Paris or London. Our windows and shop signs are mostly garstly or can anybody prove me wrong…?

Images of truck: Courtesy of YoMunchy

From June 9-13 the DMY International Design Festival is hosting, what seems like a hothouse  in which ideas are generated. Everywhere I look, traditional thinking has been turned with inspiring, engaging and challenging design solutions. This year’s festival has a specific focus on technology, exploring the way our world is enhanced by the products we consume. Professional designers, studios and firms, as well as experimental works by upcoming designers are on show for the public. We are indeed living in an era of rapid and constant change. Existing structures, be they economical or social ones are  being addressed here and the cultural impact of these changes are inherent in every item you see here.  Do not miss the opportunity to be part of this exciting display!

At the entrance of the former hangars you are welcomed by what looks like a cave made entirely by transparent sticky tape. The accessible structure by Austrian/Croatian team For Use/Numen is to me an amazing piece of creativity.

Here are just a few pieces that spoke to me as they tell their story and functionality in such a uncomplicated and simple way:

This is a Bookmark Lamp,  by Swiss studio Fulguro. Do you need any further explanation….?

Bookmark Lamp

The chrono-shredder by Susanna Hertich. Is there a more in-your-face-way for the momentariness of “Now”???

Having a passion for all things clever that help in the household, I just loved these laundry baskets cum wall ornaments ”Polyp” by Helene Steiner . You are supposed to put your different coloured clothes through the  holes of these big concave half- bubbles (imagine  an orange cut in half stuck to the wall). When the container is full, it can be taken from the wall when it serves as a basket in which you can comfortably carry the dirty laundry to wherever you machine is. The pre-assorted laundry per basket is the amount of a load-full of a washing machine. Now there is a load of problems off your daily routine…