Lessons Learned from Berlin Shopfronts

"Like many European cities, Berlin teaches us myriad lessons in building successful shopfronts. While the exclusive international shops along Kurfürstendamm and Friedrichstrasse are elegant and effective, the more creative successes are found in neighborhoods and courtyards. Kaid Benfield’s People Habitat describes in detail the reasons Hackeschen Höfe is so successful at the holistic level, and last week Hazel Borys discussed the diversity of uses, so here we’ll just explore the interesting shopfront contributions. There are some very successful shopfront examples in the Prenzlaur Berg neighborhood as well."

Henderson goes on to discuss the urban design and land use surrounding shopfronts. She addresses biophilia, pet perch, bicycle parking, sidewalk displays, gifts to the street, and illustrates her points with photographs.

Shop in the Prenzlaur Berg neighborhood of Berlin. Image credit: Susan Henderson