The Berghain nightclub building |
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| Location | Friedrichshain, Berlin, Germany |
|---|---|
| Type | Nightclub |
| Opened | 2004 |
| Former name(s) | Ostgut ( - 2003) |
| Capacity | 1500 |
Berghain is a Berlin nightclub, named after its location on the border between Kreuzberg and Friedrichshain.[1] Philip Sherburne described it in 2007 as "quite possibly the current world capital of techno, much as E-Werk or Tresor were in their respective heydays." [2]
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The club is located in a former power plant in Friedrichshain, behind the Berlin Ostbahnhof railway station. The building is distinguished by its enormous dimensions, which accommodate an 18 meter high dancefloor and space for 1500 guests, and also its minimalist interior design, dominated by steel and concrete. The club contains a "cavernous" main room, as well as a smaller upstairs space called the Panorama Bar, which is decorated by enormous Wolfgang Tillmans photographs and tall windows with a view of East Berlin.[1][2][3][4][5] Only half of the building is currently in use.[2](The second half of the building will soon be used as a concert hall)
Berghain has a strong reputation for decadence and hedonism; a New Zealand Herald article describes "people openly indulging in sexual acts"[6] inside the club, and the basement contains a dark room specifically set aside for that purpose.[2][7][8] Photography is strictly forbidden.[2][9] The door policy is selective and mostly random, but there are no VIP entrance or VIP areas. Special guestlist is restricted to a few guests for each dj and maximally two guests for each staff member. As a special feature, no mirrors or reflecting surfaces can be found anywhere in the club. Like many Berlin clubs, Berghain hosts extremely long events; a Philip Sherburne column in Pitchfork Media describes a Carl Craig set that began at 3:00 Sunday afternoon and continued until the club's ending time.[2][8] Jesse Rose has described "Entering Panorama Bar is like going back in time to an age when people went out to really party." [10]
Berghain is the reincarnation of the "legendary" club Ostgut (1998–2003).[2][4][5] This club itself emerged out of a men only fetish club night, called "Snax", which was held in different locations before it found its permanent home at the new club "Ostgut" as a part of a new concept. Quickly the "Ostgut" developed into a focal point of the Berlin techno-subculture since the venue was now open for all genders on regular nights except on those "Snax" club nights six to eight times a year. "Ostgut" closed down on January 6, 2003 following a 30-hour farewell event, and the former railway warehouse which housed it was subsequently demolished. Berghain opened in 2004.[5][11] The name "Berghain" is a composite of the names of the two quarters, which flank the building south and north: Kreuzberg (former West Berlin) and Friedrichshain (former East Berlin). "Snax" is still held once a year on Holy Saturday in the main room (Berghain), while only the Panorama Bar is open for a mixed crowd.
The music is mostly techno, tech house, detroit techno, and minimal techno. The Panorama Bar hosts well known house and electro DJs. Nick Höppner, a resident DJ who manages the club's record label, states that "The simple division is that Panorama Bar more or less caters to house... and Berghain is really the platform for purist techno."[2]
In 2005 the club's owners started a record label, Ostgut Tonträger (or Ostgut Ton).[2][12] The label's first releases were by Berghain/Panorama Bar residents such as André Galluzzi, Cassy, and Ben Klock.[2] In 2007, Berghain collaborated with the Berlin Staatsballet to create "Shut Up and Dance! Updated" a ballet for five dancers that was performed at the club in late June and early July.[13][14] The ballet's soundtrack (released on Ostgut Ton on May 29[14]) is made up of five specially composed tracks by prominent minimal techno artists such as Luciano, Âme, Sleeparchive and Luke Slater (here using his pseudonym The 7th Plain) .[15] The soundtrack received some positive reviews,[12][16] including a five star review in The Guardian,[7] although the ballet itself was panned by Resident Advisor.[17]