Berlin, Chrome steel sculpture in Charlottenburg, Germany.

Berlin is an abstract steel sculpture in Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf that rises from the ground through interconnected metal forms. The structure displays curved lines that shift their appearance depending on where you stand around it.

Berlin was one of eight sculptures made for "Skulpturenboulevard Kurfürstendamm", commissioned by West Berlin for the city's 750th anniversary in 1987. The Matschinsky-Denninghoffs chose the Tauentzienstraße in front of the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtniskirche. Three works were allowed to remain after the anniversary year; the city and Deutsche Bank acquired Berlin after its original lease expired.

The title Berlin was chosen by Brigitte Matschinsky-Denninghoff and Martin Matschinsky for their 1987 work on the Tauentzienstraße. The four steel tubes loop toward each other without touching, a form the sculptors described as a large "organically grown" gate with a double arch, stressing the West-East and East-West direction. The Gedächtniskirche stands behind it as a backdrop.

The sculpture stands in the central median of Tauentzienstraße, in front of the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtniskirche, not at the Kurfürstendamm/Joachimsthaler intersection. It is open on all sides, so you can walk around the four tubes and see how the two halves loop without touching. The chrome nickel steel surface darkens or shines with the time of day.

The chrome nickel steel material of this sculpture reflects light in particular ways, creating varying shine effects throughout the day. Depending on the time and sunlight angle, the surface appears completely different, making return visits worthwhile.