construction cranes, if a German architect realizes his
massive vision. The world's largest artificial mountain could sit on
the spot currently occupied by Tempelhof
airport, and provide a natural getaway for Berliners and tourists
alike. Did we also mention the fine skiing
opportunities from September through March?
Architect Jakob Tigges has named his 1,000-meter-tall mountain "The
Berg," which may conjure up images of
some bygone World War II-era redoubt. But the idea supposedly has many
supporters among Berlin residents,
and we have to admit that it's a novel way of one-upping all those
other cities focused on having thetallest buildings.
If you're not sold on the awe-inspiring grandeur of this mountain,
we'll let the "Berg manifesto" speak for itself --
and throw in some smack talk about other German cities in the bargain.
Hamburg, as stiff as fat, turns green with envy, rich and
once proud Munich starts to feel ashamed of its distant Alp-
panorama and planners of the Middle-East, experienced in
taking the spell off any kind of architectural utopia
immediately design authentic copies of the iconic Berlin-
Mountain.
Perhaps something was lost in the translation there. Either
way, we're looking forward to the next Bond movie where
007 rallies the neighborhood associations and fights a
morass of city zoning laws to stop ... "The Berg."
