Friedrichstadtpassagen

This trio of shopping complexes (called Quartiere), built during the post-reunification construction boom years, never really managed to trigger the revival of southern Friedrichstrasse as a luxury retail spine and now finds itself partly facing bankruptcy. It's still worth checking out the striking interiors, especially the shimmering glass funnel inside the Jean Nouvel–designed Galeries Lafayette. Next door, Quartier 206 is an art deco–style symphony in colored marble, while John Chamberlain’s crushed-car tower anchors Quartier 205.