Funkhaus Berlin pairs historical detail with cutting-edge sound

Walking through the Funkhaus Berlin with its grand
concert halls, sweeping hallways, and state-of-the-art equipment,
one can’t help being reminded of “Charlie and the Chocolate
Factory.” The former GDR broadcasting studios are an enormous
complex, housing cutting-edge sound technology within carefully
preserved historical interiors and cavernous industrial
halls.


The Funkhaus was designed in the 1950s by Bauhaus engineer Franz
Ehrlich, who during World War II had been interned at Buchenwald
and forced to design entrance gates and other concentration camp
structures. He designed the Funkhaus after the war ended,
including details like a stairway made out of marble from the
former Reichskanzlei. At the time of its construction, no expense
was spared, it seems: Valued in today’s currency, Studio 1 alone
cost 8.3 billion euros to build.


Alongside contemporary additions like a 4D sound system called
Monom and a massive dance area, these grand spaces offer
concertgoers a unique experience as a venue: As Events Manager
Christian Block says, once guests have arrived, “they’re just
blown away by this fascinating building.”


Produced by Marlene Melchior