Nordic Embassies

The Nordic Embassies in Berlin are located on the southern edge of the Großer Tiergarten Tiergarten - triangle in the Rauchstraße. There are five national embassy firms with a common, public buildings, connected by a revolving copper tape.

History

The Nordic countries have a long history of different compounds, and political alliances. More recently, the kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden and the republics of Iceland and Finland have created a joint interest group in the Nordic Council ( since 1952) and the Nordic Council of Ministers (since 1971).

First, the external cooperation was with the two German states in different activities: After 1951, the war ended with Germany by an official statement by the Norwegian government, began in 1953 gradually formed a collaboration with the Federal Republic of Germany in various fields. It started with a tariff agreement, then followed by agreements on cultural, military, sporting, social cooperation. Until the late 1980s, the entire area of ​​life was " covered " with individual agreements. The Norwegian State agreed after the global wave of recognition of the GDR in 1973 the exchange of diplomats and taught in East Berlin in existing buildings, an embassy. Denmark also concluded an agreement for diplomatic cooperation and opened in the street Unter den Linden in East Berlin ( between Glinka Street and Frederick Street ) a custom message. 1952 began diplomatic relations between Iceland and Germany. An Icelandic embassy was opened in Hamburg and moved in 1955 to Bonn (→ Kronprinzenstraße 6 (Bonn) ).

The idea of ​​a common message system of the Nordic countries had often been considered. Following the decision of the German Bundestag, Berlin once again to explain to the capital and to move the government from Bonn there, the concept was first realized. In Berlin this is a plot of 7290 m².

The decision in a Europe-wide architectural competition was signed in 1996. Winner was the Austrian- Finnish architectural firm of Alfred Berger and Tiina Parkkinen in Vienna. They designed the overall concept and one of the single building that Felleshus ( Community House ). For the five independent embassy building then the participating countries lined up national competitions, in order to emphasize the national sovereignty of the individual states. Common Construction began in May 1997, in October 1999 the messages were opened together. The construction costs amounted to 49.5 million euros.

Building

For the structures of individual countries preferred materials were applied which are typical and widespread in their home country. The Danish Embassy has an open glass facade, Finland used slats of larch wood to glass, large glass surfaces and Sweden Gotland limestone. The facade of the Icelandic representation is made of red rhyolite ( a kind of porphyry ). A 15-meter high, 120 -ton and 900 million year old granite plate is mounted on the facade of the Norwegian Embassy.

The materials of the Community House are maple wood, concrete, glass and Swedish marble. It contains, among other things, a sprawling exhibition space, an auditorium, meeting rooms and a Nordic restaurant - all open to the public, according to the task this building, which is intended as a home for all and as a Meeting House.

The architect of the Swedish embassy is Gert Wingårdh, the Norwegian Embassy was designed by architectural firm Snøhetta, Danish from the office Nielsen, Nielsen and Nielsen (now 3XN ), the Icelandic by the Office PK Hönun ( Pálmar Kristmundsson ) and the design for the Finnish comes from Office Viiva Arkkitehtuuri Oy. For the establishment of homes for local designer furniture part were used, such as Arne Jacobsen 's Series 7 chairs, or swan chair in the Danish Embassy.

The outstanding feature of the Nordic Embassies is a 15 meter high, turquoise copper band that encircles the individual buildings in wave-like swings and summarizing. It consists of approximately 4,000 pre-patinated lamellas, is almost 230 meters long and is the feeling of togetherness of the various countries involved symbolize the outside. The close location of the Nordic Embassies in Stauffenbergstrasse Austrian Embassy also has a copper facade.

Residences of ambassadors

Due to the spatial concept of the Nordic Embassies, the residences of ambassadors are not in the building complex. The residence of an ambassador requires the representative living rooms and the need of spaces for receptions in a smaller scale an increased demand for living space. The shielding of the residential buildings by green areas for recreation and security could not be realized on the property of the Nordic Embassies itself.

The residence of the Danish Ambassador is located in the historic listed country house Sternberg in Dahlem, and was converted into a residence from 1999 to 2001. For this purpose, a garden house for banquets was added. The Finnish ambassador resides in a for himself built in Nikolasee by the Berlin architect Paul Zimmer Reimer 1921 villa which was re- decorated in the style of the 1920s, 1999. For the Norwegian ambassador an atrium house was built in Grunewald, which was designed by the Norwegian architectural firm until 1999 Stein Halvorsen AS 1997. The Swedish Ambassador resides in the Pücklerstraße in Dahlem in 1936 for Günther Werner Ehrenfeucht - built villa. The garden was designed by Herta Hammersbacher and is now a listed building. The residence of the Icelandic Ambassador is located in Traben street in Hallensee. It was designed by the Icelandic architects Hjørdis and Dennis, Hjørdis Sigurgisladottir and Dennis David Johannesson and completed in 2006. The building in modern architecture consists of three parts, which are connected by a glass-roofed corridor fluently with each other, and offers a beautiful view of Lake Halen.