Bücherbogen am Savignyplatz operates under the arches of the S-Bahn viaduct at Savignyplatz in Charlottenburg — an address that links two of Berlin's architectural conditions: the elevated railway infrastructure that bisects the city and the high-ceilinged civic street life of the old West Berlin. The bookshop occupies three arches: art, architecture, photography, and design on one side; literature and criticism on the other; and the arched ceiling above both, which converts a utilitarian railway structure into something more considered than its engineering suggests. The stock is selective and takes its proportions from the space — deep rather than comprehensive, with a section on Berlin's own architectural history that is more complete than anything available elsewhere in the city. The display system — wire shelving units suspended from industrial track — allows the architecture to remain legible. Savignyplatz itself, with its plane trees and bistro tables, is the correct neighbourhood to be in after the visit.
Charlottenburg, Berlin, Germany