In November 2007, the Bundestag decided that the Federal Republic of Germany would erect a Memorial to Freedom and Unity in remembrance of the peaceful revolution in the autumn of 1989 and the reinstatement of Germany’s national unity. Planned as a national symbol, the memorial was to be erected in the centre of the German capital, at the site of the former national monument to Kaiser Wilhelm I on the so-called ‘Schlossfreiheit’ in Berlin-Mitte.

An open international competition, commissioned by The Federal Office for Building and Regional Planning (BBR), was initiated resulting in an exhibition of the competition entries at the Kronprinzenpalais.

Located in one of Berlin’s most contested political/socio sites, INFINITY addresses Germany’s former division, reunification and subsequent integration as something created from a multitude of parts that will continue to evolve into new formulations in the future. Positioned on the East/West axis, the design draws attention from either side of the site. Key aspects of the design are the invitation to engage with the three dimensional façade; to move through, ascend and inhabit the monument; and to look out onto the immediate surroundings. The views within and outside the monument are fractured into multiple reflections and reflections of reflections. As these ‘views’ are bounced back and forth between panes, virtual spaces are created. The visitor is implicated not only within the space of the city but also in these ‘imagined’ spaces. Reiterating this, the layout of the surrounding seating establishes a topology that inherently situates the visitor in an osmotic interconnectedness to the site.

Design: Ben Anderson, Yektakarina Bobrova, Simeon Nelson, Alexandra Glazko