The Mäusebunkerin the Lichterfelde neighborhood (Steglitz-Zehlendorfa district) in Berlin, is one of the most curious buildings in the whole city. In full brutalist style, this particular palace designed by Gerd And Magdalena Hänska it resembles a monolithic warship and is – or rather, was – a biomedical research laboratory, now converted into a cultural hub. But let’s look at it more closely.
Brief history of the historic warship-shaped building in Berlin
The Mäusebunker was commissioned byUniversitätsmedizin Berlin In the 1971 and was designed by German architects Gerd And Magdalena Hänska. Completed after about ten years of work, its appearance is very reminiscent of that of a warshipboth for the inclined walls and for the ventilation ducts that emerge from the building. Warning: these features were not just stylistic elements.
In fact, its official name is Research Institute for Experimental Medicine and this already gives us clues to its actual function: they were present inside this laboratory tens of thousands of laboratory animals – such as mice, rabbits, rats and others – for the purpose of research biomedical. So all the aesthetic elements were part of an advanced system Of containment designed to ensure strict hygienic conditions and prevent contamination between research areas. Inside they are found watertight corridors And controlled ventilation systems to ensure isolation of the various environments.
The closure of the former Mäusebunker laboratory and its saving from demolition
As time goes by the usefulness of this center has progressively diminished, both due to a natural evolution of scientific practices and due to high maintenance costs. Precisely for this reason in 2019 the center was closed and even almost reached the point of being demolished.
Just then, however, architects, enthusiasts and conservators entered the scene who emphasized the uniqueness of this building, convincing the authorities to preserve this one-of-a-kind experimental laboratory. Precisely for this reason since 2023 the Mäusebunker was included among the historical monuments of the country.
Today it is not yet clear what the future of the building will be, even if work is being carried out inside visits drive and sometimes they organize themselves exhibitions And debates public.
