Every Berliner knows the red and grey house by the Gleisdreieck station. And no wonder. U-Bahn trains – 444 of them every day – pass right through the block of flats on their way to Kurfürstendamm. The people who live in this secret Berlin landmark have to put up with the daily rumbling, clattering and rattling of trains, which sometimes make the ceilings shake.
The Gleisdreieck has been a fascinating architectural site for over a hundred years. The name means ‘railway triangle’ and until 1912, three lines really did meet here. Today, it is the site of the above-ground station of the U1 and U2 U-Bahn lines. And the famous U-Bahn house. Even if you’re not keen on taking the train through the building, it’s fun to stand on the street and watch the trains disappear inside the block of flats.
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