Zvi Hecker: Designs for the Center of Berlin

The 1990s were times of change for the city of Berlin. They brought with them both a strong influx of younger people and numerous challenges for future urban planning. Zvi Hecker had visions for Berlin after reunification. They are now the focus of the exhibition "Zvi Hecker: Designs for the Center of Berlin". Another exhibition, "Pages Of An Open Book", has been running since the beginning of November in the artistic project space "Die Möglichkeit einer Insel" in Berlin-Mitte and shows accompanying drawings and notebooks.

Born in Kraków in 1931, Zvi Hecker lived in Israel for some time before moving to Berlin. With numerous international projects, he is considered one of the most important contemporary architects and represented Israel in 1991 at the 5th Biennale for Architecture in Venice. He is still an “alert, restless spirit”, both artist and architect, wrote Florian Heilmeyer in 2021 on Hecker’s 90th birthday: “His buildings should not be understood as works of art, but should primarily be used by people.”

The exhibitions, conceived by the artists Stephanie Kloss and Heimo Lattner, show drawings and models of his designs for Berlin in the 1990s and provide insights into his highly poetic sketchbooks. A booklet with a text by Nikolaus Bernau will accompany the exhibition in the Mitte Museum.