Berghain: The Secretive, Sex-Fueled Realm Of Techno’s Coolest Club
To begin with, the building is enormous. The Berghain that is main dance, which is targeted on difficult techno, has 60-foot ceilings sustained by massive pillars made from unpainted concrete. “The construction is comparable to compared to a cathedral associated with Middle Ages, ” claims Thomas Karsten, one of many two architects in charge of the 2004 renovations of this building, that was initially built in 1953 as an element of East Germany’s postwar reconstruction process and abandoned when you look at the late 1980s. “There’s something very nearly spiritual in regards to the atmosphere. ”
All the building has retained its initial commercial architecture — the decor is extra, the walls are mostly empty and a somewhat less Dante’s Inferno-esque upstairs area, called Panorama Bar, makes utilization of cages that previously housed electric equipment. Because of this, the club, that was opened by two media-averse German males, Norbert Thormann and Michael Teufele (whom, consistent with the club’s no-media policy, declined an meeting demand), nevertheless has the appearance and feel of an abandoned building. A sizable metallic swing hangs from the region of the party flooring, and hot white lights illuminate part of an imposing preserved facade behind the club’s primary bar. The building is really big and maze-like, you can find new stairways and rooms even with investing several days when you look at the club.