Palace Of Republic
Palace of the Republic (Palast der Republik)
The Palast der Republik or Palace of the Republic was constructed around 1973 and 1976. It was built at the site of the former Hohenzonllern Palace in Berlin. Situated on the bank of the River Spree next to Museunsinsel.
Karl-Ernst Swora and Heinz Graffunder provided the architectural plans of the building. They conceived of their building as a House of the People or Volkshaus in the tradition of the German Labour movement. The building was composed of two large auditoria, a theatre, art galleries, restaurants, bowling alley and a discothèque.
After the fall of the Berlin Wall in November of 1989, the Volkskammer or people's assembly approved the immediate closure of the Palast der Republik in September of 1990. The decision was made upon an asbestos level report that had been commissioned by the GDR government.
The palace was in use for a short 14 years from 1976 to 1990. As to why it was closed, the official explanation was asbestos contamination in insulation throughout the building. The costly removal of the asbestos took 7 long years and destroyed the palace' Socialist-Modern interior. While its facade was largely unchained, what remains of the palace was an unsightly frame of the building, gutted from the inside.
For the third and last time after 2002 and 2003, the German Bundestag decided on January 19, 2006 the demolition of the palace. The demolition which was scheduled to be completed by early 2007 was not met due to the time-consuming removal of asbestos. This delay accumulated additional costs in the tens of millions.
The Palace of the Republic was contaminated with approximately 5000 tons of highly toxic sprayed asbestos. It was in 2008 that the GDR monument became history.
Sources:
https://www.dw.com/de/palast-der-republik-abriss-eines-ddr-monuments/a-18987811
https://failedarchitecture.com/berlins-palast-der-republik/
http://www.icwa.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/JW-13.pdf
ADX Asbestos Removal, 125 S Clark St. Chicago IL 60603, 773-345-7074
The Palast der Republik or Palace of the Republic was constructed around 1973 and 1976. It was built at the site of the former Hohenzonllern Palace in Berlin. Situated on the bank of the River Spree next to Museunsinsel.
Karl-Ernst Swora and Heinz Graffunder provided the architectural plans of the building. They conceived of their building as a House of the People or Volkshaus in the tradition of the German Labour movement. The building was composed of two large auditoria, a theatre, art galleries, restaurants, bowling alley and a discothèque.
After the fall of the Berlin Wall in November of 1989, the Volkskammer or people's assembly approved the immediate closure of the Palast der Republik in September of 1990. The decision was made upon an asbestos level report that had been commissioned by the GDR government.
The palace was in use for a short 14 years from 1976 to 1990. As to why it was closed, the official explanation was asbestos contamination in insulation throughout the building. The costly removal of the asbestos took 7 long years and destroyed the palace' Socialist-Modern interior. While its facade was largely unchained, what remains of the palace was an unsightly frame of the building, gutted from the inside.
For the third and last time after 2002 and 2003, the German Bundestag decided on January 19, 2006 the demolition of the palace. The demolition which was scheduled to be completed by early 2007 was not met due to the time-consuming removal of asbestos. This delay accumulated additional costs in the tens of millions.
The Palace of the Republic was contaminated with approximately 5000 tons of highly toxic sprayed asbestos. It was in 2008 that the GDR monument became history.
Sources:
https://www.dw.com/de/palast-der-republik-abriss-eines-ddr-monuments/a-18987811
https://failedarchitecture.com/berlins-palast-der-republik/
http://www.icwa.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/JW-13.pdf
ADX Asbestos Removal, 125 S Clark St. Chicago IL 60603, 773-345-7074
