Buchhändlerhof Substation (1928) E-Werk (1993–1997)

Berlin’s second power plant (1885) was constantly expanded, and it quickly filled the limited space of the cramped courtyard in which it was built. The new three-phase technology allowed electricity to be generated on the edge of the city and transmitted downtown with almost no loss of power. Substations were now necessary to transform that high voltage electricity into lower voltage and distribute it to a local network. Thus in 1928 the power plant became a substation, providing electricity to Potsdamer Platz and other locations. After the fall of the Berlin Wall, the oldest power generating facility in Germany was repurposed as E-Werk, a birthplace of the global techno movement. It now serves as an event venue under the name ewerk.