Jörn Grothkopp (Bergen / Rügen)
Next Station
With the construction of the Wall in 1961 the “S-bahn,” the Berlin commuter rail, was the only form of public transportation that traveled the East and West sides of the city and crossed the border. After being “cleared” by East German border police, the train departed from the Friedrichstrasse station and drove right past what is today the Art Luise Kunsthotel to the West—until 1989. Many East Berliners tried to flee to the West by jumping onto these speeding trains. Only a few were successful.

The transformation of room 305 into a S-bahn “lounge” with original furnishings from the 1960s is an attempt to make the mobile passenger cabin of this historical rail line, which once thundered past only 10 m away from the building, into a stationary living environment. The room includes four drawings, portraits of imaginary passengers.

For the traveling hotel guest, the space enhances the feeling of being “on the go.” A place for nomads. Or a prototype of a new residential trend: “S-bahn” living!