Galeria Kaufhof Department Store

In the last hundred years Alexanderplatz in Berlin has witnessed profound changes and the Kaufhof department store is no exception. After German Reunification, the building was integrated into the Kaufhof und Warenhaus AG, which immediately initiated refurbishments. In 1993, the Alexanderplatz Master Plan created a new guideline for a more compact urban development.
The redevelopment concept by Josef P. Kleihues envisioned a 25m extension of the building towards Alexanderplatz. The building services and the administration moved from the 4th and 5th level, into a new setback top floor, to allow for additional sales space. Without impeding sales operations, the complete technical infrastructure was transferred to a new location. In order to gain a vast and open sales space, new staircases and technical cores were moved to the longitudinal sides of the building. A light-flooded inner courtyard with escalators composes the new centre of the building.
Embodying the character of the building, the new façade is a modern interpretation of the classic department store architecture, including elements like grand entrances, a two-storey base and moulded, clearly structured natural stone surfaces. Although the display of the merchandise primarily requires walls, big windows are generously created on all sides. With the redesign of the Galeria Kaufhof, Alexanderplatz regains a representative department store which self-confidently rises besides its neighbours and forms a new a piece of the city.