Sony Center, Potsdamer Platz
A strategic foothold in the center of Europe

Donated by Murphy/Jahn, Chicago
Sony lands in Berlin
Sony, whose corporate philosophy is "Global thinking with local acting", puts emphasis on the independence of each region. Sony Europe is managed under this concept, so, for example, its plants are decentralized in 9 regions in western, middle and eastern Europe. The headquarters used to be located in K_ln, but Sony decided to move them to Berlin, with its outstanding geographical advantage. Sony also took into consideration the area's large population and its significance in tourism, when constructing their entertainment complex.

Potsdamer Platz
Potsdamer Platz, in which the Sony Center is located, used to be a terminal station. Several suburban trains and subways cross here. Also here was the famous downtown in prewar Berlin. The Mauer (Wall), however, was built in the middle of the Platz, almost splitting the plaza in half, and the Potsdamer Bahnhof (Station) was closed down. Its status plummeted to that of a forlorn location in the outskirts of West Berlin.
Nevertheless, Potsdamer Platz suddenly became the center of the city following Unification. It is being closely watched as the target of redevelopment. In 1991 Sony bought the site in response to an offer made by the municipal authorities. Immediately after the purchase, Sony selected Hilmer & Satler as their first planner. The project planners were given a condition: Revive the traditional street blocks and to keep the height of the eaves at 35 meters.
 Jahn won first prize with his light-flooded Forum
In the architectural design competition of 1992, jurors, including the Mayer of Berlin and Mr. Satler himself, selected the plan of Helmut Jahn from among the seven eminent competitors, such as W. Petersen, S. Pelli, and K. Roach. Jahn's characteristic Forum with a big roof had been evaluated highly.
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