Kaufhaus Brenninkmeyer, Art Nouveau department store at Oranienplatz, Berlin, Germany
Kaufhaus Brenninkmeyer is an Art Nouveau retail building at Oranienplatz in Berlin's Kreuzberg district, featuring expansive windows and decorative stonework across its corner facade. The structure rises prominently at this intersection and displays the architectural design language typical of early 20th-century commercial buildings.
The building was constructed in 1913 by the architectural firm Cremer & Wolffenstein as a major retail destination for shoppers in the area. After serving as a department store location through the mid-20th century, the structure underwent various uses before its recent conversion into a hotel.
The building shaped how people shopped in this neighborhood, with its prominent storefront windows designed to draw customers into the commercial life of Oranienplatz. Over many decades, different tenants used the space to reach the surrounding community, making it a center of everyday commerce.
The building is easily accessible by public transportation and sits within an active neighborhood full of cafes, shops, and street life around Oranienplatz. Visitors can view and appreciate the exterior architecture while walking through this central gathering space in Kreuzberg.
From 2008 to 2017, the empty building became an unexpected venue for artistic experiments and creative projects by various artists and institutions. The vacant space hosted exhibitions and installations that drew Berlin's contemporary art scene into this historic commercial structure.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
