Archive: The Capital City of Berlin - Documentation

The streets within the Parliamentary and Government Quarter are open to everyone, and thus a vibrant new urban quarter was created. There was absolutely no trace of any distrustful resistance from citizens, who, in the end, are to be governed from this new district. This didn't just happen by accident, however.

Road works don't just create access; an underlying conceptual idea always forms the basis. A street is far more than just a paved connection between two points. It is in itself a place to spend time, and to experience. The design, the paving materials, the width and edges, the marking, the pavements, the bicycle paths, and the lighting - to name but a few of the elements - are always functional. And yet, they determine how the street will be perceived; its aesthetics. In order to give the roads in the city's centre a recognizable "face", a design guide was developed: the "Guidelines for the Design of Streets". These guidelines defined the framework for detailed planning right up to the shapes and materials used for streetlights. This was felt to be necessary, as it is expected that a metropolitan area's public open space offer an enjoyable and distinctive environment - for a simple walk around the city as well as for an act of state.