Sony Center: The Revival of Contemporary Architecture

The Sony Center is a surprising and innovative architectural complex. Its inauguration paradoxically marks the failure of postmodernism in Berlin. While waiting for something better, the worst is happening: is the trend irreversible?

The Sony Center Is a Highlight. It Was Also a Personal Favourite.

German reunification marked the beginning of the dismantling of the Berlin Wall. The huge construction site quickly gave way to large deserted areas in the middle of the city. The ambition was to erase the stigma of division by reagglomerating urban spaces. After the emblematic Place de Paris and the Brandenburg Gate, the Potsdamer Platz became the focus of attention.

The Potsdamer Platz is the architectural laboratory of the Reunification. The transformation of urban planning was total, starting with the unprecedented presence of skyscrapers. Architect Helmut Jahn oversaw the construction of the Sony Center. A convinced postmodernist, he followed the rules of sustainable development: an urban environment in which economic, cultural and ecological factors would be central.

The Sony Center opened late in 2000, at a time when post-reunification enthusiasm had already waned. Berlin then shifted paradigm and embarked on the reconstruction of its destroyed heritage, notably the Hohenzollern castle. Despite the lack of promotion, the Sony Center remains an architectural feat, and its potential is still intact.

Technology Meets Aesthetics

The Sony Center is an immense circular forum, almost entirely glazed. The facades of each building have their own unique geometric shapes and reliefs. This shifting architecture constantly renews perspectives. The complex is topped by an immense dome of fabric, glass and steel, slightly inclined, paying homage to Mount Fuji. Finally, an immense spire falls from the capital towards the forum's central basin. The first impression is striking.

The layout of the Sony Center follows the rules of zoning. Half of the building is devoted to economic activity. The rest is divided between residential areas and those dedicated to culture and restaurants. The results are mixed. Some of the offices remain unoccupied, and many retail and cultural outlets have closed, including the Cinestar & IMAX cinema in 2019. Nor do the homes reflect the neighborhood life to which Berliners are so attached; not to mention the absence of schools and local shops. It's not uncommon to come across not a soul in sight.

In the evening, dynamic lighting illuminates the big top. These beautiful colors contrast with the subdued softness in which the Sony Center remains hushed. This incredible aesthetic was conceived by architect Helmut Jahn, who called on French artist Yann Kersalé, a specialist in lighting effects. In the actual size of the Sony Center, he succeeded in creating the illusion of intimacy. Soothing and sumptuous.

The Sony Center Is a Bet on the Future

The Sony Center is a great success that will go down in history. Its architectural eclecticism and zoning invite us to rethink the city, with the aim of creating a harmonious environment concerned with the common good. In this respect, the complex reproduces a model already tried and tested in Berlin with the Hackesche Höfe, of which it proves to be a contemporary form.

Is the fact that the site has not been developed enough to qualify the project as a failure? Certainly, the economic spin-offs are not commensurate with the investment. Similarly, Berliners are slow to reclaim the original city center. This relative failure is short-term. The renewal of communication routes takes time, and the Sony Center is likely to become a major Berlin landmark within the next 15 years.

Helmut Jahn's postmodernism adapts to contemporary challenges without denying the heritage of the past. For example, the Sony Center's super structure incorporates the remains of the former Esplanade Hotel, of which only the exterior façade was preserved from wartime destruction. This combination of old and new is in stark contrast to recent projects, most of which suffer from historicism. Yesterday, we were building the heritage of tomorrow: today, we're rebuilding the heritage of yesterday. Perhaps this is where the real failure of the Sony Center lies: its inability to provide the impetus for a profound transformation of Berlin. Ambition and expectations were undoubtedly too high.

2025: Annus horribilis

It is with sadness that we witness major changes in this unfortunate year 2025. Two events, whose full impact is still difficult to grasp, have profoundly altered not only the architectural harmony but even the very concept of zoning.

Though it deserved—and still deserves—to be part of the city’s heritage, the Sony Center remains a commissioned project belonging to private-sector actors. In that sense, the complex is not protected, as it has never been listed. Thus, the central basin beneath the canopy’s descending spire has been replaced by a water-jet fountain. The resulting space breaks the original aesthetics and symbolism—the work has been stripped of its essence.

The real earthquake, however, lies in the rejection of the original concept: a space where culture and daily life would flourish within a modern environment. Once an institution, the German Cinematheque is leaving the Sony Center and relocating to Mauerstraße. Culture and gastronomy are now reduced to modern workspaces, tasteless and unoriginal dining options, and private facilities for fitness clubs. These more “contemporary” ambitions mark the end of cultural diversity, giving way to a form of elitism. Indeed, the Sony Center has been officially renamed: “Das Center am Potsdamer Platz.” Berlin turns the page in this dreadful year 2025…

Reasons to Visit

• Breathtaking perspectives

• The illusion of intimacy

• Light effects

Reasons to Skip

• A gastronomic offer without authenticity

• Lack of real added value

• Sometimes frightening emptiness