Der Kornversuchsspeicher in Berlin

Built in 1989, the Kornversuchsspeicher or Grain Test Silo was created as a conceptually ambitious experimental prototype for the grain storage required to supply the over one million inhabitants of Berlin. After being used by a string of haulage companies, it was left vacant. However, the protected monument has been turned into an attraction in the Europacity development area opposite Berlin’s central station in 2023. Its spectacular renovation by AFF architects, which received the Architekturpreis Beton award, turned the industrial structure into a mixed-use building hosting offices, a gallery, and a restaurant.
Berlin-based photographer Harf Zimmermann, co-founder of the internationally renowned OSTKREUZ agency, documented the renovation project over the course of five years with his analogue large-format camera. Some of the striking photographs of different construction stages lend the process the appearance of an archaeological dig, while others give the impression of a completely new construction project. The photo essay is complemented by an extensively researched and generously illustrated article on the building’s history by Hans Georg Hiller von Gaertringen.