Potsdamer Strasse 1

Potsdamer Strasse 1 is the address of the Kollhoff Tower, one of the most recognisable skyscrapers on Berlin's Potsdamer Platz. Designed by the architect Hans Kollhoff and completed in 1999, the dark brick high-rise draws on the massing and materiality of early twentieth-century American skyscrapers, making it a deliberate counterpoint to the glass curtain walls that dominate the surrounding square. The building rises to around 103 metres and is anchored at the base by a busy retail and commercial podium.

At its summit sits Panoramapunkt Berlin, an observation platform reached by what is promoted as Europe's fastest lift, travelling at roughly 8.5 metres per second. From the top, visitors look out across the Brandenburg Gate, the Tiergarten, the television tower at Alexanderplatz, and the broad sweep of the city stretching to the horizon. The platform offers one of the clearest panoramic views available in Berlin, framing the capital's layered history from a single vantage point.