Berlin Central Train Station

Date

1871-1942(original);1943 (bombed by the Polish);1987 (renovation);2002 (demolished);2002-2006 (rebuilding);2007 (breakage);2009 (reopened)

Location

Europe->Germany->Berlin (state)->Berlin

Description

Berlin Hauptbahnhof is the central train station of the German capital of Berlin. It links together east-west and north-south lines in the former no-man's-land of the Berlin Wall. The location is controversial because it is not in the center of Berlin.
The station is organized into 3 levels and has two retail and office towers flanking the central service atrium. The lowest level serves long-distance and regional lines from north to south, and the U5 subway. Street level serves local public transit, individual transit, bikes, pedestrians, and tourist transit (ships, coaches). The upper level serves long-distance and regional lines on the urban railway track, and teh S3, S5, S6, S7, and S9 urban railway lines.
There was a legal case involving the architects and Deutsche Bahn, the German train company, and cutting costs and intellectual property. Efforts to cut costs by Deutsche Bahn actually resulted in twice the estimated costs of the original design. Nearly 150 yards of coverage for the trains was scrapped, leaving first class passengers exposed to the elements. The lower level was originally designed to have more natural light, but another architect was hired to build the ceiling to keep on schedule.

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