In Germany, Minimalism and Transparency

**Honey** · July 24th, 2011, 11:21 AM

Andreas Meichsner for The New York Times
Eva-Maria Steidel lives on the seventh floor of the Henselmann Tower, left, which, with its twin, right, forms the visual gateway to Karl-Marx-Allee at Strausberger Platz. The 14-story terraced building, designed by East Berlin chief architect Hermann Henselmann, is an example of the socialist realist style of Stalinist architecture and was completed in 1953.

Andreas Meichsner for The New York Times
The storage room, painted a bright lime green, offers a rare splash of color in the apartment. The folding bike is by Mark Sanders for Strida (about $1,000); Ms. Steidel bought the antique mirror with a polished steel frame for $635 at an antique store in Berlin.

On Location | East Berlin - Slide Show - NYTimes.com

**fgg** · July 24th, 2011, 11:30 AM

so...when are these people getting their furniture delivered?

**Sojiita** · July 24th, 2011, 11:32 AM

Looks like someone has 'just started'(and I mean JUST started) to move in. Still looks deserted. I hate that green room too.

I also hate that architecture, how it relates to the street, the horrible relation of the green space in the foreground with the rest of the area(no sidewalk/plaza/etc just asphalt roadway then grass)...not exactly plattenbau(or whatever it is) but does not exactly seem warm and inviting either.

I hate the tv tower too..lots of hate for this thread.

**sputnik** · July 24th, 2011, 02:23 PM

i love the building, the location and the space itself is incredible - love the parquet and windows and the high ceilings. i like a lot of her furniture but yeah, overall it's too sparse.
and the green storage room... so, all she stores there is her bike and a mirror?

**McJag** · July 24th, 2011, 02:36 PM

Originally Posted by sputnik

i love the building, the location and the space itself is incredible - love the parquet and windows and the high ceilings. i like a lot of her furniture but yeah, overall it's too sparse.
and the green storage room... so, all she stores there is her bike and a mirror?

I think that is her excercise room!
Looking at her wardrobe, Eva-Maria is not given to color.
I think it is a fabulous apartment and she could move out in a half hour!
Also, she has very little dusting to do.

**Deutsche** · July 25th, 2011, 06:33 AM

Originally Posted by Sojiita

I hate the tv tower too..

It offers the best view above Berlin though. In April, I took my 3 years old niece up there, she loved it: The driving trains were suddenly snakes and the cars were ants.

**HWBL** · July 25th, 2011, 07:46 AM

Soulless. And that puke green is just hideous.

**Lalique** · July 25th, 2011, 08:22 AM

Is the clear, blow-up bag supposed to be seating?

**Sojiita** · July 25th, 2011, 08:50 AM

Originally Posted by sputnik

i love the building, the location and the space itself is incredible - love the parquet and windows and the high ceilings. i like a lot of her furniture but yeah, overall it's too sparse.
and the green storage room... so, all she stores there is her bike and a mirror?

We agree on so many things sput, but I just knew you would love this one.

This is one area where we nearly always have very different viewpoints.

Originally Posted by Deutsche

It offers the best view above Berlin though. In April, I took my 3 years old niece up there, she loved it: The driving trains were suddenly snakes and the cars were ants.

speaking of viewpoints, the only reason it offers the best view of Berlin in any sense is that it is the one place in Berlin where it is guaranteed that this ugly as fuck tower itself will not be in the view.

**Deutsche** · July 25th, 2011, 09:02 AM

lol. It's a one of the better looking TV towers. Calm down.

**BoogsBun** · July 25th, 2011, 10:05 AM

It's too "minimalist" for me. It's more like "I spent all my money on this damn place and can't afford any furniture now".

**Sojiita** · July 25th, 2011, 11:03 AM

Originally Posted by Deutsche

lol. It's a one of the better looking TV towers. Calm down.

Even if it is one of the best looking TV towers, the fact that it is a TV tower and is located in the heart of a large historic North European city is like saying it is one of the better looking piles of dogshit in a particular yard.

And who isn't calm?-we are just talking about an ugly TV tower. I think your taste in architecture must be similar to your taste in men as is shown in the 'Hot Guys' forum-very bad.

**Deutsche** · July 25th, 2011, 11:21 AM

This TV tower is one of the few remainings from the GDR, more than 60 years old and a symbol of the reunited Germany.

Berlin is not a Northern European city. It's central Europe. never mind.

**Sojiita** · July 25th, 2011, 11:41 AM

Originally Posted by Deutsche

This TV tower is one of the few remainings from the GDR, more than 60 years old and a symbol of the reunited Germany.

Berlin is not a Northern European city. It's central Europe. never mind.

Technically yeah, it is central Europe.

One of the few remainings of the GDR? The fewer remnants the better. I would think the thousands of concrete monstrosities in Marzahn would be enough of a reminder of East German shitty architecture.

And the tower was built 1965 to 1969-hardly OVER 60 years old.

jeez...from someone named 'Douc..er..Deutsche' too...never mind.

It is ugly, like most Eastern German construction of the period. get over it.