You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
0<br />
All sorts of people meet in the new open air<br />
restaurant in the Ballhaus courtyard. Here sit 21st<br />
century patrons surrounded by crumbling house facades and graffiti eating Neopolitan<br />
stone over pizzas, a microcosm of the Mitte district.<br />
If a trademark has emerged from Berlin‘s massive rate of building in the last few<br />
years, it is the masterly combination of old and new. We only have to think of the Re-<br />
ichstag dome or the old Kaisersaal in the modern Sony Centre. The two experienced<br />
event organisers, Christian Schulz (35) and David Regehr (37), also had this maxim in<br />
mind when they took over the most famous and oldest Ballhaus in the city eighteen<br />
months ago.<br />
Many people feared that converting the legendary “Clärchens Ballhaus” into a<br />
soulless, trendy night spot would end almost 100 years of tradition, but the two<br />
young men have succeeded in creating an appealing synthesis between the as-<br />
sets of the past and modern ideas. Above all there turns out to be a charming<br />
contrast in the new open air restaurant outside the traditional house. The patrons<br />
sit in their 21st century clothes, in the candlelight, surrounded by the crumbling<br />
house facades, graffiti, old garages and the oleander bushes in full bloom, eating<br />
Wenn aus Berlins emsiger Bauintensität der letzten Jahre<br />
ein Markenzeichen abzuleiten ist, dann ist es die gekonnte<br />
Verknüpfung von Alt und Neu. Denken wir nur an die Reichs-<br />
tagskuppel oder den alten Kaisersaal im modernen Sony<br />
Center. Dieses Motto hatten auch die beiden erfahrenen<br />
Event-Veranstalter Christian Schulz (35) und David Regehr<br />
(37) im Kopf, als sie vor eineinhalb Jahren das bekannteste<br />
und älteste Ballhaus der Hauptstadt übernahmen.<br />
Viele befürchteten die Verwandlung des legendären „Clär-<br />
chens Ballhaus” in ein charakterloses Szenelokal und somit<br />
das Ende einer fast 100-jährigen Tradition, aber den beiden<br />
jungen Männern ist eine ansprechende Synthese zwischen<br />
gestrigem Anspruch und modernen Vorstellungen gelun-<br />
gen. Vor allem im neuen Freiluftrestaurant vor dem Traditi-<br />
Neapolitan stone oven pizzas served by waiters dressed<br />
in 20‘s style clothes.<br />
In the Ballhaus itself the good old times can be felt even<br />
more strongly: Original tables, chairs and bars from 1913<br />
make it very easy for you to imagine the great parties of<br />
the wild 20‘s. But even this has been given a bit more piza-<br />
zz. Currently the 20‘s events only happen at the weekend.<br />
On the other days many different, young customers whirl<br />
around the floor to the rhythms of swing, jive or the tango.<br />
As an alternative to the increasing number of new minimal-<br />
istic bars, cafes and dance bars, perhaps old-fashioned flair<br />
is, today, chic enough for the new Mitte district.