In those 15 years that I have been living here the Alexanderplatz – former center of East Berlin – has undergone a lot of changes. Some where good, such as the re-modelling of the Galerie Kaufhof in the style of the Berolinahaus ensemble or the renovation of the big fountain. Some where horrible, like the Alexa, the TK Maxx building or the opening of Primark. There is still a lot of construction going on, but it’s unlikely it will add much positive to the already questionable charm of the area. Apparently we are not the only ones who dislike the development of the once so iconic Alex. The guys from the DDR Museum released a new interactive online game called meinalex that let’s you create the Alexanderplatz to your liking. You can erase all those unwanted shopping malls and sky rises and replace them with residential houses or even parks. It’s nice to also get a chance to look at the past of the square and learn something about its impending future. Have a go yourself and build your own Alexanderplatz! Some versions after the jump.
So this is how the Alexanderplatz empty:
Alexanderplatz sometime in the early 90s. See the beautiful parking space where now Alexa resides:
This is roughly the state the Alexanderplatz is in today.
And this is the future of Alexanderplatz if it were for the city developers and investors of Berlin. The once so airy and green square completely filled up with skyscrapers, shopping malls and luxury apartment complexes:
all illustrations: meinalex.de / DDR Museum Berlin