Großgaststätte Ahornblatt
Encyclopedia
The Großgaststätte Ahornblatt (lit. "Great Maple Leaf Restaurant") was a building located in the Mitte
district of Berlin
. Built between 1971 and 1973 as part of the new Fischerinsel residential condominium project, it accommodated a self service restaurant with 880 seats and a shopping arcade for the employees of the East German Ministry of Construction and for the workers of other nearby offices. Despite protests, the building was demolished in 2000.
The Ahornblatt design came from the architects Gerhard Lehmann and Rüdiger Plaeth, following the urban concepts of Helmut Stingl. The Ahornblatt name resulted from the leaf-like, outwardly curved shape of the roof. The construction of the concrete shell was made by Ulrich Müther (1937–2007), one of the world's leading authorities in this area, using the VEB special concrete
from Binz
. The outer walls were glazed and divided by arranged horizontal louvres.
Its construction lasted from 1970 to 1973, with its main function being a restaurant for employees of the East German Bauministerium, the Ministry of Construction. After 1976, it was also used as a bar for the construction workers of the Palast der Republik
. After working hours, various recreational events (disco dances, brigade evenings, etc.) took place there.
, the building was used as a nightclub, under the name Exit. DJ Tanith
held his first regular after-hour events there. Later, the Ahornblatt fell into disuse. In 1997, the local Oberfinanzdirektion (revenue office) sold the site to the private firm Objekt Marketing GmbH.
The demolition of the Ahornblatt was seen as part of an ongoing destruction of modern architecture from East Germany; Müther's Kolloquim in Magdeburg
is threatened with demolition in 2011. Despite numerous protests against the demolition of the Ahornblatt, the new owner obtained a demolition permit for the Ahornblatt, with the consent of the Denkmalschutzbehörde (preservation authority), even in the absence of general agreement. On 21 January 2000, Müther held the last guided tour in his building. Demolition began on 19 July 2000. The Accor
Group built a hotel for business travelers and families on the site.
Mitte
Mitte is the first and most central borough of Berlin. It was created in Berlin's 2001 administrative reform by the merger of the former districts of Mitte proper, Tiergarten and Wedding; the resulting borough retained the name Mitte. It is one of the two boroughs which comprises former West and...
district of Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
. Built between 1971 and 1973 as part of the new Fischerinsel residential condominium project, it accommodated a self service restaurant with 880 seats and a shopping arcade for the employees of the East German Ministry of Construction and for the workers of other nearby offices. Despite protests, the building was demolished in 2000.
Background and construction
The Ahornblatt was built between 1970 and 1973 along with the tall towers of the new Fischerinsel residential condominium project, and was intended to serve as its social center. The building was located on the corner of Gertraudenstraße and Fischerinsel.The Ahornblatt design came from the architects Gerhard Lehmann and Rüdiger Plaeth, following the urban concepts of Helmut Stingl. The Ahornblatt name resulted from the leaf-like, outwardly curved shape of the roof. The construction of the concrete shell was made by Ulrich Müther (1937–2007), one of the world's leading authorities in this area, using the VEB special concrete
Concrete
Concrete is a composite construction material, composed of cement and other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate , water and chemical admixtures.The word concrete comes from the Latin word...
from Binz
Binz
Binz is the largest seaside resort on the German island of Rügen. It is situated between the Prorer Wiek and the Schmachter See in the south-east of the island. To the north of Binz stretches the Schmale Heide , a tongue of land which joins the Muttland region of Rügen to the Jasmund peninsula...
. The outer walls were glazed and divided by arranged horizontal louvres.
Its construction lasted from 1970 to 1973, with its main function being a restaurant for employees of the East German Bauministerium, the Ministry of Construction. After 1976, it was also used as a bar for the construction workers of the Palast der Republik
Palast der Republik
The Palace of the Republic in Berlin was the seat of the parliament of the German Democratic Republic, the People's Chamber, and also served various cultural purposes...
. After working hours, various recreational events (disco dances, brigade evenings, etc.) took place there.
After reunification
After German reunificationGerman reunification
German reunification was the process in 1990 in which the German Democratic Republic joined the Federal Republic of Germany , and when Berlin reunited into a single city, as provided by its then Grundgesetz constitution Article 23. The start of this process is commonly referred by Germans as die...
, the building was used as a nightclub, under the name Exit. DJ Tanith
Tanith (DJ)
Thomas Andrezak , better known as Tanith, is a German DJ and producer of electronic dance music. From 1990 to 1996 he was one of the most popular German Tekkno DJ ....
held his first regular after-hour events there. Later, the Ahornblatt fell into disuse. In 1997, the local Oberfinanzdirektion (revenue office) sold the site to the private firm Objekt Marketing GmbH.
The demolition of the Ahornblatt was seen as part of an ongoing destruction of modern architecture from East Germany; Müther's Kolloquim in Magdeburg
Magdeburg
Magdeburg , is the largest city and the capital city of the Bundesland of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Magdeburg is situated on the Elbe River and was one of the most important medieval cities of Europe....
is threatened with demolition in 2011. Despite numerous protests against the demolition of the Ahornblatt, the new owner obtained a demolition permit for the Ahornblatt, with the consent of the Denkmalschutzbehörde (preservation authority), even in the absence of general agreement. On 21 January 2000, Müther held the last guided tour in his building. Demolition began on 19 July 2000. The Accor
Accor
Accor is Europe's leading hotel group , part of the CAC 40 index , and operates in over 90 countries. Headquartered in Courcouronnes, Essonne, France, near Évry, France, the group owns, operates and franchises 4,229 hotels ranging from economy to luxury on five continents .Previously, the group...
Group built a hotel for business travelers and families on the site.