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INTRODUCTION
Each year in February, Berlin rolls out the
red carpet and life in the city revolves
around the International Film Festival.
Such is the aura and grandeur associated
with this event that all the imagery of this
city seems changed and the festive mood
can be experienced through the lighting
and the big colored banners put up at
various prime locations in the city.
Airports, hotels, theatres are rocked by a
much hyped atmosphere in the presence of
international celebrities who are the center
of media attraction all through the 11 days
of this festival.

View of the general ambience at the
opening ceremony of the Berlin
International Film Festival at Berlinale
Palast.
OBJECTIVE/RELEVANCE
OF THE LITERATURE STUDY
In my attempt to understand the
functioning of an INTERNATIONAL
FILM FESTIVAL, it was important to
study an event that is on a much larger
scale, so that my approach to the design of
this project just not remains limited to its
present scale.
Berlin film festival is next to the Cannes
with respect to the scale and overall
participation recorded in this mega event.
This is a 11 day affair that takes place in
the heart of the city (Berlin) generally in
the first half of February. Potsdamer Platz
is the main venue for the event, though
there are a host of venues that support the
activities taking place in the festival.
The study for this festival is being done to
understand the planning for the event
which would include the inter connectivity
between different functional components
and the architectural significance of the
built mass to the overall ambience of this
festival. Different spaces have to be
examined closely so that the relation of art,
architecture to a film festival can be
inferred to a greater detail. This would
help to appreciate the design more in terms
of the imagery, hence created, in a context
that remains so very important in the
present study.Lastly important conclusions
can be arrived at that can add on to the
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missing functional components in the
present case of the International film
festival of India. These would strengthen
the prospects for making IFFI stand out as
a major international film festival in the
times to come.

ORGANIZATION OF THE EVENT
The success of each film festival is
influenced by the amount of international
participation it receives and on the scale at
which the host country holds the event.
And the Berlin festival, over the years has
expanded many folds, adding new venues
to the existing. More and more facilities
have been incorporated into the
programme that makes the event more
open to the public. And all this while, the
process of screening various movies has
been made more systematic and better
organized using the latest technology (like
the e-cards for the access control) to its
best possible use.
New theatres like the multiplex and IMAX
have come up to screen these international
movies with the option of side by side
translations through the attached earphone
along your seat. All this has really
promoted the event in a big way as
language has ceased to be a criteria for
enjoying a movie from a different country.
Audience have begun to appreciate the
quality of theatre being produced
elsewhere and knowing the culture of
other countries through this powerful
medium of expression.

Berlinale palast, the main venue for the
screening of movies for the press and
delegates. It has a grand theatre and a
host of ancillary facilities that keep the
venue eventful all throughout the
festival.
Like many other international film
festivals, the Berlin film fest starts with the
opening ceremony at Berlinale Pallast with
the screening of the premiere movie
reserved for this grand day. Dignitaries
and special invitee across the globe have
the privilege to participate in this function.
After this from the next day screening of
movies starts at the various venues
reserved for the festival. Potsdamer platz is
one such area which is pedestrianized
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during the event and has a host of facilities
that facilitate for the smooth functioning of
the event. It has got multiplex, IMAX,
shopping malls, film museum etc. that
confuse the visitors with the vast choice of
options it offers.
The organization of the festival has to be
understood in terms of the various venues
and the activities associated with it. This
will be done starting at the macro level and
then going in to the micro and having a
closer look at the various venues in and
around the Potsdamer Platz, which
remains the focal point. Most of the
venues have been spread out and are
connected through the shuttles service with
the various hotels, where most of the
dignitaries and the guests are staying.

VENUES
I) Official Competition Programme:
Gala screenings of the films competing for
the Golden and Silver Bears:
Berlinale Palast at Potsdamer Platz
* Repeat Screenings: Royal Palast and
International.

II) Berlinale Special:
Film-Palast,International Zoo-Palast,
Cinestar, Philharmonie.

III) Panorama:
Zoo-Palast Cinema 1 (Panorama Special),
CinemaxX (Cinema7)
Cinestar (Cinema2, 3, 7)
* Repeat screenings: International
IV) International Forum of New
Cinema:
CinemaxX(Cinema3),Cinestar (Cinema 8),
Delphi-Filmpalast,Arsenal Kino,
Filmkunsthaus Babylon.

V) Kinderfilmfest
Zoo-Palast (Cinema 4)
* Further Premieres and repeat screenings
at CiemaxX (Cinema 4) and Filmtheater is
Friedrichshain.
* Competition 14plus at Zoo-Palast
(Cinema 4).

VI) Retrospective
CinemaxX (Cinema 4 and 8)
* Special added attractions at the
Filmmuseum
Berlin, Potsdamer strae 2.
* Repeat screenings at Zeughaus Kino,
Cinestar (Cinema 2), Film-Palast.

VII) German Cinema
This section is primarily aimed at fim
buyers and is only open to accredited
festival visitors.CinemaxX (Cinema 1)

VIII) Perspektive Deutches Kino
Cinemax (Cinema 3)

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IX) Short Films CinemaxX (Cinema 6)


CinemaxX, located in the Potsdamer
Platz. The main venue for Panorama,
Kinderfimfest, Retrospective, German
Cinema
X) European Film Market
Film screenings and fairground area are
open only for the accredited participants.
CinemaxX(Cinemas 2,10 and studio11 19)
Cinestar (Cinemas 1,2,4,5, and 6)
* Fair stands are located in the atrium of
the Daimer Chrysler building at Potsdamer
Platz.
ARCHITECTURAL VOCABULARY OF
THE BUILT FORM
Most of the buildings stand up with the typical
glasss box architecture relying more on the
interior lighting, for making an impressive
elevation especially during the night. One of
the main venues, the Potsdamer Platz, has
been once a thriving metropolis. But this
square was heavily damaged in the war, and
suffered again when the remaining buildings
were pulled down.

Cinestar, one of the multiplex that is also
the venue for the films screened under
Panorama. The typical glass box
architecture is more of an attraction under
the lights in the night.
to make way for the Berlin Walls death strip.
After years of construction the tall new
buildings on the western side of the former
square add a typical cosmopolitan edge to the
city - but will remain an island of modernity
until construction, around the neighboring,
Leipziger Platz links the area up to the rest of
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the city. The Sony Centre, with its huge atrium
and sail-roof is the most impressive at night
when the lighting changes color continuously.

Sony Center, with its sail roof is most
impressive of the structures, adapting to
vagaries of the climate.
The area in around the Potsdamer Platz is
part a typical urban fabric that one might
find in any old city. Theres a blend of
different styles, in which each new
building tries to complete with the old
monuments that are part of the history
now. The above picture is from the
Rudolf-von-Gneist street showing an old
cathedral in the background. Parking
problems are common in the area, so most
of the new buildings have gone in for
basement level parking. So while the
festival is going on most of the area
around the Potsdamer Platz is
pedestranized and the shuttle service is
available for commuters going to for the
far off venues, after every 30 minutes.




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1he complex is pedestranized all
throughout the JJ days of the festival.
1he interior faade is more of a play of
colored reflections cast by the huge sail
roof which is intentionally done for the
festival. 1echnologically it's also one of
the marvelous piece of architecture
roofing.





The roofing system for whole of the sony
center has been designed in a way that
makes use of the intelligent architecture in
which the mechanism is controlled through
thermally operated cells. Its a huge cable
structure with fins made of fiber, around
the entire circular complex. When the
temperatures fall below the freezing point
and theres a possibility of snowfall, the
fins open up to form a huge umbrella
hence acting as a shield to entire plazza.
The roofing also acts as a physical
envelope defining the entire space in a
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more meaningful way. It is also
responsible for the multi-colored
reflections that can be seen on the facades
of the various buildings that the complex
houses. The glass facade of these
buildings, hence acts as a dynamic
covering to the entire built form changing
under the influence of both the natural
and the artificial light.
The main theatre inside the Sony Center is
the Cine Star IMAX. Its the venue to the
BerlinaleSpecial, Panorama, Retrospective
and International Forum of New cinema.
The complex also houses a film museum
that highlights the achievements of the
Hollywood stars specially those who came
from Germany. Photo stills, footage, set
designs and costumes provide glimpses of
what is part of the history of German
Theatre. The museum ends with special
effects and a science fiction.

1he Cine Star IMAX, looks like a glass
palace at night.

1he Cine Star IMAX, one of the main
venues for public screening of the
movies, located in the famous sony
center. In the center of the complex is an
interesting water fountain, that
adds to the festive spirit.
THEATRES
The success of a film festival rests heavily
on the theatres where the films are
screened. So each country tries its best to
add new theatres with latest facilities for
the screening of various films. Berlin film
Festival screens most of its movies in the
Multiplex or the IMAX theatres so that the
audience can experience the films with the
best sound and picture quality. Seats are
provided with headphones so that films
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from other countries can be heard in
German and English.





1he IMAX 3D, theatre which screens
the large format movies for the general
public.

Berlinale Palast, hosts the screening of

various movies for the celebrities and the
distinguished guests. It is located near the
Potsdamer Platz & the Grand Hyatt where
most of the celebrities hole up in their feng
shui rooms. The venue hosts both indoor
and outdoor screenings, along with the
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press conferences with the stars. The
Media center is stationed here for all the
happenings to be telecast live for the
public on the screens put on the exterior of
this complex. The final prize distribution
which includes both the Golden and the
Silver Bear is held in this venue.

The CineStar IMAX located in the Sony

Center is another theatre which has 10
screens for the screening of both the large
and small format movies for the public.
The ticket sale counter is located alongside
and the booking for the shows can be done
on the card through an electronic control
device.
Convertible IMAX Theater
Located at the center of the urban project
developed by Daimler-Benz, as part of the
reconstruction of the Potsdamer Platz in
Berlin, B7 is a 15,600 square meter mixed-
use building comprising of Imax theater, a
restaurant and retail surfaces. The three
floors of retail spaces on which the theater
rests are related to a covered shopping
street placed between adjacent building
of the quartier while a three-story
restaurant in the rotunda faces the Marlene
Dietrich Platz (at the center of the
drawing). The 440 seats theater is housed
in a sphere of 36 meters in diameter that is
integrated inside of the urban envelope of
the building. The spherical volume of the
theater raises above the building making it
a landmark from afar.

Location Plan for the B7, IMAX theatre
which will be part of the Berlinale film
festival next year. Designed by Renzo
Piano the theatre is located in the
Potsdamer Platz, hence improving on
the theatre facilities for the area.
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Plan of the fifth floor (+23.62M), level of

exit of the theater.

The IMAX Theater is convertible, that is,

there are two screens (and two projection
rooms) inside: a half-spherical screen
rotates to allow a view of a vertical screen.

The sphere is also visible from the street

through a large 1,000 square meter clear
glass faade that is oriented toward
southwest. This glass faade defines an 18
meters high atrium that is the main public
circulation space at the foot of the theater
sphere, 10 meters above street level. The
faade spans 50 meters horizontally. Its
structure is made of three identical light
horizontal cable and strut 'beams' placed
above each other every 4.50 meters,
corresponding with the floor levels inside
the building. As part of the general
architectural and sustainability concept,
the atrium is naturally ventilated. It is
roofed by a long-span hollow steel

structure that is offset from the sphere in
order to allow natural light penetration,
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natural ventilation, and the 'reading' of the
continuity of the sphere between inside
and outside. The end facades are clad with
large format ceramic elements in natural
tone while the sphere is clad with blue
green glazed ceramic elements, the
'sphericality' of which is obtained naturally
when fired in the oven, by using
appropriate glazes. The structure of the
sphere that houses the theater is build in
concrete. The spherical form is a 35 meter
diameter PVC textile membrane balloon
maintained under pressure while concrete
is projected from inside, alternating
projection and installation of rebars. The
sequence shows the balloon being inflated.
PARAMETERS DEFINING
THE EXPRESSION OF THE VENUE
Its important to list all the parameters that
define the general ambience of the place
and bear a contribution to the festive spirit
of the venue. Maybe the Piazzas, the
hard or the soft landscaping elements,
the floorscape, the lighting, the signage,
the general imagery, the architectural
expression of the buildings, the colour;
all have a role to play in making the
place lively and creating an interest,
more so when you are not sitting in a
dark theatre watching nothing more
than the images being flashed across the
front white screen.

The photograph of the Sony Center
under lights. The Golden Bear stands as
a symbolic representation of the event in
the background of well lit glazed facade
of the complex. The central water body
with the fascinating reflection.

The Piazza in front of the CinemaxX
theatre in the Potsdamer Platz. The
outdoor sitting spaces make up a good
contrast to the interior of a theatre.
Sitting out in the winter sun and waiting
for the next show to start, the piazza
with its eating joints makes for the long
intervals between the shows.
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The general ambience varies from venue

to venue. The Berlinale Palast, hosts a
number of red carpet receptions to the
various celebrities and dignitaries, which
is further flared by the multicolored
lighting from the space frames hung atop,
and big screens flashing live images.

The piazzas for the various venues have

been hard landscaped except for some of
the ornamental plantation one might find.
The shopping malls along these piazzas
and in the multiplex IMAX keep the
visitors busy for most of their time.
SCULPTURES- DEFINING
THE IMAGERY
The Potsdamer Platz has a number of
sculptures that make the general imagery
of the place interesting. The main
sculpture that stands out on a very large
scale (picture beneath), is dedicated to
the fall of Berlin Wall and the unification
between the East and The West Germany.
These sculptures add a nice foreground to
the various buildings and are a major
landscaping element in the Piazzas of
various venues.

THE BUILT FORM
The glass box architecture has made its
impact in terms of the architectural
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expression of the venue. The Sony center
and the Berlinale Pallast have both used
the material in its different
manifestations, the construction employing
the latest that technology has to offer. One
can hardly escape the feeling of awe, once
the sail roof umbrella opens its fins at the
Sony center. The reflections in the glazed
facade of the center cast a long lasting
impression on the visitors. All this adds to
the experience of watching good cinema in
one of the best theatres in the Berlin
International Film Festival.


! The scale of the Sony center and the
built form around this complex make
the Berlin International Film Festival
stand out as an event in a typical urban
context.
! Lighting has been used as one of the
strong elements in making the city to
join the festive spirit for the entire 11
days of the event.
! The cable structure for the roofing of
the Sony Center has been such that
makes the building stand out as a
landmark, and hence easier for the
visitors to identify themselves with the
venue. The complex is well planned in
terms of the recreational spaces like the
Film museum and the shopping malls.



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INFERENCES /CONCLUSIONS
! Though the scale for the Berlin
International Film Festival is many folds
as compared to the International Film
Festival of India but there needs to be
developed, a sense of strong imagery, like
the one found in the former. Architecture
has a big role to play, going beyond the
traditional limits, and venturing into
new domains that create strong visual
impact in the new site.
! The venue has to be such that, different
functional components on the site can be
well knit into a space that is one, like the
one found in Sony Center at the Potsdamer
Platz.
! Lighting is an important constituent at
Berlin Festival, so the excessive use of
glass in the buildings is justified. The
buildings come to life as soon the
artificial light take control over the
natural one.
! Landscaping for the Festival is not just
confined till the venues (the piazzas,
water fountains) but includes sculptures
that form an integral part of the
streetscape and add to the general
imagery.
! Facilities have been developed, like the
film museum in the Sony center along with
the never ending shopping malls, that keep
the visitors busy for most of their time
outside the theatre.
! The European Film Market is the only
venue which lacks architectural character,
as the temporary facility is put up in a
commercial space with the low height
Partitions.




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