Berlin
Am Tacheles
History, Architecture, and Lighting Design
In the heart of Berlin, on Oranienburger Straße, stands the historic building known as Am Tacheles. Built between 1907 and 1908 as Friedrichstraßenpassage, a cutting-edge shopping center, the building underwent numerous transformations during the 20th century. In 1990, it was occupied by a collective of artists who transformed it into an alternative cultural center, a symbol of freedom and creativity.
In 2023, the Am Tacheles redevelopment project, designed by Herzog & de Meuron and Studio Aisslinger, breathed new life into this iconic space, integrating new residential, commercial, and cultural functions while preserving the historic soul of the building. Inside, the Fotografiska museum has found its Berlin home, hosting contemporary photography exhibitions in an architectural setting that blends past and present.
The lighting concept for Am Tacheles was developed by the Berlin-based studio Jack Be Nimble, which won this year's German Lighting Design Prize 2025 for its design of Fotografiska's new Berlin headquarters.
The aim was to enhance the building's unique identity, telling its story through light and structuring the spaces in a clear and evocative way.
