This compact box at the Southeastern edge of the plaza, opposite the Galleria Kaufhaus and the Park Inn Hotel, is not unduly remarkable in itself but arrives as the final step in a renewed Alexanderplatz groundplan. An additional 4,000qm of floorspace will provide Alexanderplatz shoppers with even more opportunities to empty their bank accounts in what has become one of Berlin’s densest retail districts.

Düsseldorf Architects RKW designed the structure, taking inspiration for the facade from the nearby Behrenshaus and Alexanderhaus, the only pre-WWII structures remaining on the plaza. This should result in a unified visual ensemble upon the building’s unveiling in early 2009. A less often mentioned benefit of RKW’s new structure is that it effectively obscures the view to Alexa, that hideous brick colored abomination on the opposite side of Alexanderstraße!