La mise en scène de l'espace public virtuel

Abstract

After the fall of the Berlin Wall, the German Federal Republic began a quest for symbols apt to engender a sense of unity and to compensate a persistent deficit in terms of national identity. Rebuilding Berlin as the capital indeed represented a unique opportunity: this once divided metropolis is to become the prototype of a new European city, and, what is more, a metaphor embodying the triumphant values of democracy. Its promoters, both private and public, concur on the meaning inherent in this extravagant urban spectacle. We examine here three projects through which they intend realising this vision: the Potsdamer Platz, a monumental commercial complex; three commemorative constructions, the “Topography of Terror”, the Jewish Museum and the Holocaust Memorial; finally, the chancellery, an illustration of “multiculturally” inspired State architecture.