After the birthday brunch we crossed the river to look in at St Agnes. The sunlight rippling across the concrete wall was immediately the most interesting part of the room, and I followed the sun to the corner and looked up.  

Who doesn't crave a moment of peace? I lapped up the silence while S leafed through a book on Italian public works and told herself stories. 

Let's be honest, the building rather overshadowed the exhibition on architecture by civil servants. But the pamphlet was quite beautiful in places. 

Just as sometimes the essence of an entire era can be encapsulated in a single moment, the essence of a city can be encapsulated in a single building; or, more precisely, in the fate that the city bestows on that building.

Reading through it made me eager to watch Utopia London. 

 

Afterwards we went to the playground beside Brachvogel and S swung on the swings for what felt like an hour. Later, we shared a pizza.

The next day we dropped S off at a birthday party and went to Haus am Waldsee. The small gray models were a different experience of concrete, played against the herringbone parquet and walls painted gray-blue shades of Farrow & Ball. 

But I did take Ina Weber's slogan, Beton ist Geduldig (orConcrete is patient), as an epigram for the weekend. 

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St Agnes, Alexandrinenstrasse 118-121, Berlin-Kreuzberg (map). Alicja Kwade opening 26 April 6pm-midnight. Exhibition calendar on Facebook.

Brachvogel, Carl-Herz-Ufer 34, Berlin-Kreuzberg (map). Biergarten, small cafe, minigolf.

Haus am Waldsee, Argentinische Allee 30, Berlin-Zehlendorf (map). Modern art museum, cafe, sculpture park and audio guides for architecture tours.

 

Comments

[Annton Beate Schmidt]

so close to my studio (except for the house am waldsee) i will "imitate" your trip. thanks for the inspiration!

[Sylee]

Annton, oh, lucky you. The streets were so still while we were there; the birds were so loud.

[David]

A Berlin childhood!

[Sylee]

David: our baby!

[Judith]

Beautiful photos and really like the weekend's epigram too!