After all, there is such a thing as inner beauty. The proof is at number 3 Pariser Platz in Berlin, where behind the strict, almost anodyne façade of the DZ Bank Building lies one of Europe's most aesthetic and original event centres. In the words of its designer, Frank Gehry, "The best thing I've ever done". No mean feat given the pedigree of the pope of deconstructivism, who designed the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles and the Dancing House in Prague.
Of course, the location itself called for an exception. A symbol of Berlin's renaissance, Pariser Platz, at the foot of the Brandenburg Gate and the birthplace of Unter den Linden - Berlin's Champs-Élysées - has, in the space of a few years, become once again the prestigious square it was before the Second World War, with the Adlon Hotel, the Academy of Fine Arts and the crème de la crème of diplomacy: the French, British and American embassies. In short, the DZ Bank building is rather well surrounded, but the prestige of the neighbourhood has not encouraged it to close itself off.
So it's with complete freedom that a thousand onlookers pass through its doors every day, to admire, behind the vestibule, the great glass roof and the strange whale-shaped structure that have made the place's pictorial reputation. It's a bold move, but one that has nothing to do with frivolity. "Following on from the construction of its Frankfurt headquarters, DZ Bank wanted to extend its tradition of architectural quality to its Berlin building. And Frank Gehry was finally chosen, with his project for a conference centre in the atrium, in the middle of the offices", explains Jochen A. Lohmar, director of the Axica event centre.
Since it went on sale in June 1999, the venue has been able to impose its own style, under the constant echo of natural light: the flying chandeliers under the dome of the Forum, like clouds of Murano glass; the vibrant vermilion of the tapestry, which takes on its full brilliance in the setting of the Foyer; or the Gehry Lounge, where the strange wooden armchairs specially designed by the architect stand out.
International vocation
And then, of course, there's the whale and its 'belly', technically known as the Plenum. Perhaps the highlight of the show, the elegant Oregon pine furniture and the sumptuous undulations of the organically shaped walls perfectly showcase the triumph of soft technology, its flexible giant screens, its penchant for wireless, its microphones and headphones as minimalist in silhouette as they are maximalist in performance.
The setting and facilities make it an ideal venue for top-flight international conferences, but also, on occasion, for product launches that really want to stand out from the crowd, as Renault has done in recent years with the launch of its Velsatis and Apple with its iMac G5. "There's no doubt about it, Axica is a very top-of-the-range meeting venue, all the more so because we try to accompany the event with a service to match, both in terms of decoration and catering," confirms Jochen A. Lohmar. Lohmar, who notes that of the 160 to 180 events organised each year at 3 Pariser Platz, around 98 % are international. A reflection of a city where openness to the world has become a way of life.
