U555
Transit Zone Pavilion
Berlin, Germany
Berlin Summer University of the Arts 2017
Advisor: Daisuke Ishida
This piece remarks on the unfinished U-Bahn U55 line. Originally, the U55 was to connect the U5 from Alexanderplatz to Hauptbahnhof. This project is subsequently postponed due to financial difficulties dealing with high water contents in the soil, as this new line was supposed to cross under the Spree river. Since the city had accepted money from the German federal government, by the terms of the agreement, the city would have to return the money if there were no operating trains on the line. The city then made a compromise that they would operate the line between the three stations which were already completed. This resulted in the U55 which has only three stations from one terminal to the other. The unusual nature of U55 reflects Berlin's troubled bureaucratic situation.
In this piece, a puddle around five square meters was placed in the Dudler Passage near the U55 platform while a continuous sound of dripping water was being played. The speaker was hidden under the drain where the visitors were not able to see. Even though the dripping sound actually came from underground, I found most of the visitors looked up unconsciously to find the resource.
This piece aimed to reveal the hidden issue and brings dialogue to the situation of Berlin.
© Projektrealisierungs GmbH U5
