Humboldthafen (1850) — Berlin Central Station (2006)

Monumental Transportation Hub – Visionary landscape architect Peter Joseph Lenné created Humboldthafen (Humboldt Harbor) in 1850, not only as a place for boats to dock but also as an ornamental reflecting pool. It was named after the famous naturalist Alexander von Humboldt. Once Osthafen (1913) and Westhafen (1923) [ site 13 ] were opened, Humboldt Harbor was closed. In the postwar period it lay in the shadow of the Berlin Wall, a veritable sleeping beauty. When the Wall fell and the new Central Station (Hauptbahnhof) was built, the area came back to life. Creating space for the new construction required tearing down the old Lehrter Bahnhof, built in 1882. The modern, bright Central Station was designed by Gerkan, Marg & Partners. It combines two intersecting levels of train and S-Bahn lines with three levels of stores and restaurants. The attractive downtown location along the historic reflecting pool is getting more and more attention. A new neighborhood is taking shape around it.