Academy of Arts, Berlin

Welcome to the Akademie der Künste, or the Academy of Arts, situated here at Pariser Platz, right in the scholarly and political heart of Berlin. As we stand before this striking glass facade, I invite you to consider the immense…

As we walk along the primary glass corridor of the Academy, we are suspended in a unique architectural state—somewhere between the historic pavement of Pariser Platz and the inner sanctuaries of art. This space is intentionally…

We have now reached the Plenary Hall, the intellectual engine room of the Academy. This is where the members—distinguished artists from six departments including visual arts, architecture, music, and literature—meet to discuss…

Stepping into the exhibition galleries, you transition from the theoretical to the tangible. The galleries at the Academy are unique because they often juxtapose historical artifacts with contemporary installations. …

As we move toward the inner courtyard, we encounter one of the most poignant aspects of the Academy's architecture. While the exterior is all modern glass and steel, the interior incorporates the surviving remnants of the…

We now approach the library and reading room, a space dedicated to the 'preservation and enlargement of knowledge.' This is perhaps the most scholarly section of the Academy. The shelves are packed with over 600,000 volumes,…

For our final stop inside the Academy, we look out from the upper levels toward the north and west. From this vantage point, you can see the glass dome of the Reichstag building, the home of the German Parliament. …

As we exit the Akademie der Künste back onto the cobblestones of Pariser Platz, I hope you carry with you a deeper appreciation for the role this institution plays in the life of Berlin. We have traveled from the transparent…