Technical demands have a profound influence on the overall architectural vision of television towers. First and foremost, they need to be tall. The antenna must receive clear signals for broadcasting and telecommunications purposes. For structures also doubling as observation towers, there is an ingrained obligation to design something imaginative and attractive. The unmistakable supremacy that urban television towers possess over their respective skylines gives architects an important civic duty. In the 1950s, when the German Democratic Republic (GDR) sought the erection of a new facility to broadcast television programs in Berlin, they scouted appropriate locations. A site in the Müggelberge hills was initially considered, but later scrapped following the realization that flights from the planned Schönefeld Airport would be affected. The GDR government then contemplated a more prominent location. Though it necessitated the demolition of multiple buildings in Berlin's historic city centre, The Fernsehturm — translated to Television Tower — would become the tallest structure in Germany.
The Fernsehturm and Berlin Cathedral, image by Flickr user paleanu via Creative Commons
Original plans developed by GDR architect Hermann Henselmann borrowed design cues from the 1956-built Fernsehturm Stuttgart, which was the world's first telecommunications tower to be constructed from reinforced concrete. The observation pod was envisioned as a sphere to resemble Sputnik, the Soviet-made first artificial Earth satellite. The 365-metre tower was completed in 1969 following four years of construction, serving as a symbol of the Socialist state's strength and efficiency. An extensive renovation in 1997 saw the tower gain an extra three metres in height, while the restaurant doubled its revolution speed.
The Fernsehturm in Berlin, image by Flickr user Neil Crane via Creative Commons
Two elevators ascend the concrete shaft and shuttle visitors to the sphere in about 40 seconds. The visitor platform is positioned 203 metres above the ground and supplies guests with panoramic views of the surrounding landscape up to 42 kilometres away on a clear day. Immediately to the east, Alexanderplatz is visible. The public square and transportation hub was named after Russian Emperor Alexander I following a visit to Berlin in 1805. Despite the surrounding structures undergoing substantial renovations over the years, Alexanderplatz has retained its socialist aesthetic. The neighbouring Alexa Centre shopping complex is easily distinguishable thanks to its bright pink exterior. Across the street — and in the centre of the image below — is the Haus des Lehrers. Built in the early 1960s, the building is perhaps most notable for its wraparound mural that depicts colourful images of life within the GDR. The highrise is situated adjacent to a two-storey structure known since 2003 as the Berliner Congress Center.
The Fernsehturm casts a shadow on Alexanderplatz, image by Flickr user diamond geezer via Creative Commons
A number of hotels line the Otto-Braun-Straße, one of the primary connecting routes between Alexanderplatz and Berlin's north end. The silver highrise in the top left of the image above is the Mercedes-Benz Bank Service Center, which creates a contemporary marker in the midst of a forest of nondescript apartment blocks. To the east, the monumental socialist boulevard known as Karl-Marx-Allee is visible. Built by the GDR between 1952 and 1960 as part of East Germany's post-war reconstruction efforts, Henselmann collaborated with architects Hartmann, Hopp, Leucht, Paulick, and Souradny on the 89-metre-wide roadway, which stretches for nearly two kilometres. A host of mid-rise buildings containing luxurious apartments, shops, and restaurants were built along the street in the wedding-cake style, an architectural choice that was popular in the Soviet Union. Formerly called Stalinallee, De-Stalinization led to the boulevard's renaming in 1961.
The Spree and the Berlin Ostbahnhof in the distance, image by Flickr user diamond geezer via Creative Commons
The 400-kilometre-long river Spree can be seen snaking southeast in the image above as multicoloured housing blocks and greenery populate the cityscape. In the distance, the arched roof of Berlin Ostbahnhof is apparent. Opened in 1841, the railway station accommodates 11 tracks and nine platforms, four of which are reserved for the S-Bahn system of suburban rail service. The view directly south yields an elevated perspective of Berlin Tempelhof Airport, which shuttered in 2008. The sprawling green space has since been used as a public park, with numerous fairs and events being hosted at the popular spot in recent years.
View south towards the former Berlin Tempelhof Airport, image by Flickr user diamond geezer via Creative Commons
Panning to the southwest lends vistas of an island in the Spree that houses some of Berlin's most visited attractions. The under-construction Humboldt Forum replicates the design of the Prussian royal palace that was demolished on the site following heavy bombing during the Second World War. Set to become a world cultural centre housing non-European art, theatres, and restaurant space, the project is slated for completion in 2019. The futuristic Humboldt Box forms a five-storey exhibition space and viewing platform that acts as an educational piece for the Humboldt Forum project. The Humboldt Box will be dismantled once construction is finished, but that hasn't stopped criticisms of the building's cubist design and bright turquoise colour scheme.
Southwest view of Museum Island, Potsdamer Platz and Tiergarten Park, image by Flickr user diamond geezer via Creative Commons
The island is home to a number of architectural masterpieces and vibrant public places, including the Renaissance Revival-style Berlin Cathedral and the fronting Lustgarten park. The northern half of the island is of particular significance. Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999, it contains five internationally significant museums, lending itself to the name Museum Island. The Altes Museum houses one of the most revered collections of ancient archaeological artefacts in a neoclassical-style structure built in 1830. The Neues Museum just to the north opened some 30 years later and primarily housed Egyptian and early history collections. It too suffered catastrophic damage during the Second World War and was only reopened in 2009 following a David Chipperfield-led reconstruction.
Berlin Cathedral and Museum Island, image by Flickr user diamond geezer via Creative Commons
On abutting property to the east, the Alte Nationalgalerie forms part of the Berlin National Gallery, and showcases a collection of Neoclassical, Romantic, Biedermeier, Impressionist, and early Modernist artwork. It is connected to the 1930-built Pergamon Museum, which holds reconstructed ancient buildings and is the most visited art museum in Germany. Finally, the Bode Museum occupies the prominent northern tip of the island. Opened in 1904, the interior provides a home for sculptures, Byzantine art, medals, and coins.
As Museum Island anchors the foreground, more famous landmarks comprise the landscape in the distance. The 25-storey International Trade Centre partially obscures the Reichstag building, where the German parliament meets. Opened in 1894, the historic building was the subject of arson in 1933 and subsequently fell into disuse. No restoration plans materialized until after German reunification in 1990, at which time famous British architect Norman Foster led reconstruction efforts. A glass cupola now adorns the roof of the structure, allowing visitors to peer into the main debating chamber.
Tiergarten, International Trade Centre, Brandenburg Gate and Reichstag, image by Flickr user Maria Eklind via Creative Commons
The large expanse of greenery denotes the 210-hectare Tiergarten park, one of the largest urban gardens in Germany. The Straße des 17. Juni — commemorating the uprising of East Berlin workers on June 17, 1953 — bisects the park and serves as its principal road. It links the Victory Column, which honours the Prussian victory in the Danish-Prussian War, to the neoclassical Brandenburg Gate. One of Germany's most identifiable landmarks, the 18th century monument was built on the site of a former city gate that denoted the beginning of a road from Berlin to the town of Brandenburg an der Havel. During the Partition of Germany, the gate was inaccessible due to its position next to the Berlin Wall. When the Wall was demolished, the Brandenburg Gate came to symbolize unity and peace.
The Fernsehturm also produces views of Potsdamer Platz, one of Berlin's most important public squares and intersections. The fall of the Wall not only opened up huge plots of land to redevelopment, but it created the opportunity to show the world what a unified Germany could accomplish. The Berlin Senate divvied up the land into four sections, the largest of which went to Daimler-Benz, who built over a dozen unique buildings on the site. The resulting skyscraper cluster stands adjacent to the JAHN-designed Sony Center, which houses Sony's German headquarters alongside shops, restaurants, offices, residences, hotel rooms, and cinemas. The central atrium is sheltered by a glass canopy that adopts a cyberpunk aesthetic.
Looking north, image by Flickr user diamond geezer via Creative Commons
The scene northwards portrays the typical mid-rise scale of Berlin's cityscape. Ornate building blocks hug the weaving street grid — in some cases creating unique curved facades — and foster the pedestrian-friendly environment that European cities are known for. At the right side of the image below, the Volksbühne performing arts theatre stands on a triangular plot of land.
The Berlin cityscape is one of the most diverse in Europe. Despite many of its architectural treasures falling victim to repeated wartime bombings, other historic remnants of the past have prevailed. Painstaking reconstructions have restored parts of Berlin's urban character while contemporary skyscrapers have risen in renewed areas of the city. The Fernsehturm provides a vantage point from which to grasp the progress Berlin has made in rebuilding itself — physically, socially, and culturally — after a tumultuous history of war, segregation, and discrimination.
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