The Schützenstraße Quarter is one of Berlin's most colorful photo spots: Aldo Rossi divided the block into parcels with their own facades and roof shapes, and the colors follow the respective material. At number 8 stands a replica of the courtyard facade of the Palazzo Farnese. Four streets offer four different views.
The Schützenstraße Quarter as a Photo Spot for Postmodernism in Mitte
Aldo Rossi designed the block together with M. Kocher and M. Scheurer, with Götz Bellmann and Walter Böhm involved as planning partners. Construction took place between 1994 and 1998 on a plot of land that, apart from a single preserved house, was a brownfield site and located on the former Wall strip. The result is not a large building, but a block edge divided into parcels consisting of twelve buildings, whose layout partly mirrors the pre-war development. Each parcel has its own facade and its own roof shape, while the floor heights run through consistently, allowing the spaces to be flexibly rented out. Inside there are four courtyards, one of which is octagonal, as an allusion to old Berlin backyards. Apartments, offices, commercial spaces, and shops are mixed across approximately 37,000 square meters. Two towers exceed Berlin’s eaves height of 22 meters. Two of the buildings are purely residential, the others are mixed-use. The number of facades is greater than the number of independent houses because Rossi combined several house widths behind one face.
Schützenstraße Photo Spot: Palazzo Quote and Colors According to Material
The most famous detail is at Schützenstraße 8: a replica of three central window axes of the courtyard facade of the Roman Palazzo Farnese, with high arched windows and a strong cornice. Aldo Rossi died on September 4, 1997, one day before the planned unveiling of this facade. The second, less known key to the motif is the color scheme, as it follows the material: strong green and red stand for aluminum, muted yellow, red, and blue for plaster, earthy reddish-brown and yellow for bricks, pale tones for two types of natural stone, silver-gray for untreated sheet metal. Therefore, anyone who walks around the block once will get four different views, on Schützenstraße, Markgrafenstraße, Zimmerstraße, and Charlottenstraße. Photography is done from the street. The courtyards are private property and belong to the residential and commercially used part of the quarter. The Palazzo Farnese was started in 1516 by Antonio da Sangallo and later modified by Michelangelo.
Top10 Redaktion
Erfahrungsbericht vom 20.10.2026
Admission
Free, the street sides are freely accessible
Access
The four courtyards are private property, house rules apply there
Architect
Aldo Rossi with Götz Bellmann and Walter Böhm, built from 1994 to 1998
Highlight
Replica of three window axes of the Palazzo Farnese courtyard facade at Schützenstraße 8
Public Transport
U2 and U6 to Stadtmitte approx. 200 meters, U6 to Kochstraße, Bus M29 and 200
Photo Rules
Shots from public land are covered by freedom of panorama; commercial use incurs at least 60 Euros administrative fee plus 65 Euros per day
Drones
Not permitted in the no-fly zone around the Reichstag without permission
Circuit
Four views on Schützenstraße, Markgrafenstraße, Zimmerstraße, and Charlottenstraße
Opening Hours
Address
Charlottenstraße 16, 10117 Berlin, Deutschland
