Friedrichstadtpassagen

This trio of shopping complexes (called Quartiere), built during the post-reunification construction boom years, never really succeeded at triggering the revival of southern Friedrichstrasse into 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 coloured marble, while John Chamberlain’s crushed-car tower anchors Quartier 205.