Meinhard von Gerkan: BER-architect – “to terminate us, was an unspeakable act” – Berliner Morgenpost

Meinhard von Gerkan: BER-architect – "to terminate us, was an unspeakable act" – Berliner Morgenpost

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09.12.14, 19:13

Meinhard von Gerkan

The investigation Committee BER architect Meinhard von Gerkan criticized the expulsion of his company. This project is lost in chaos. Overall, he was but involved little.

From Lorenz Vossen

Photo: AP The architect Meinhard von Gerkan on his arrival in the committee of inquiry

A scarce “good day everyone”, then it starts: Meinhard von Gerkan takes place next to his lawyer. In the following 75 minutes is von Gerkan in the Berlin House Make a statement. Topic: the airport by for him “still difficult to pronounce acronym BER”.

It is a plea for his own innocence. And a reproach to the top leaders of the margins airport. He says: “Our cancellation was an unspeakable act of arbitrariness.”

There are many who see things differently. Therefore, the 79-year-old is called as a witness in the BER-committee on Friday. It is about the question of how much the architect and his firm gmp contributed to the chaos.

The allegation is: design errors, many Complaints about construction supervision, to the insolvency of the technical planner IGK-IGR in February 2010, which could not compensate for the planning community to gmp . In May 2012, eventually followed by the dismissal of the chief planner. An opening date for the BER, there is still not.

termination was a humiliation

From Gerkan not see blame themselves, but in the builders. And he sees his termination, it “difficult dismayed” that was a humiliation for him, as the main reason for the endless drama in Schönefeld.

Now he looks with scorn on it. “Two years is nothing happening at the airport, were cleaned except that brass plate,” says von Gerkan. One can not simply deduct the expertise of a construction site. For it was the only mistake, “that we have requested no longer say.”

The problems at BER he relentlessly disclosing. Some of you already know, among other things, from his book “Black Box BER”. He criticized “paradigm shift” in the airport architecture. The so-called “Vermallung” the desire of the airport company after a lot of retail space.

This would have led among other things to hundreds planning changes. His concept of an airport of short distances was by the “shops where you can buy inflatable rubber ducks” not feasible.

At that time outgrown

The same is true for the increased security requirements. That was about when it was built of Tegel Airport differently – 40 years ago. A little acts of Gerkan, as he had outgrown his time.

Multiple says Hamburg the merits of his company: He had 369 projects realized in addition to the BER also five airports. “All time and within budget”. Since it could not be but that you’ve failed at BER. More than once have the committee members ask him not to digress.

Another reason he cites the lack of communication to the airport’s managing director. Regular consultations did not exist, neither with the former technical director Manfred Körtgen still with the ousted CEO Rainer Schwarz. “I have attended many meetings., But not at all, as in previous projects,” says von Gerkan.

For the investigation committee which is a godsend. “It is remarkable that was involved von Gerkan own words themselves only superficially in the project. Yet his conviction remained unshaken, that the worst mistake of the airport company was the termination of his company,” says Stefan Evers, spokesman of the CDU faction. ‘ / p>

Shortening, not fudge

is particularly interested in the Committee on the subject of fire protection. Von Gerkan justifies the much criticized concept of evacuating smoke down. The fire protection system was planned only on the computer. However, the air currents are difficult to predict. “You have to try it for six months. It is learning by doing.” For the interior, the electronic control technology, others were responsible. But he had only designed the “body”.

“Overall, the finding has confirmed that the chief planner of the airport as today, blaming others from any freizuzeichnen responsibility tries. clear from the file, however, a different picture emerges, “says Frank Zimmermann (SPD). More insights to answer the question of guilt is not providing the hearing by Meinhard von Gerkan at the end. That was not to be expected in the run-up necessarily.

But it still provides a passage to smile. Whether he knew about corruption at BER, Andreas Otto wants to know about the Greens. He had finally written in his book of “souped-cost”. No, says Gerkan, he had meant by the term “styling” in the sense of a barber visit. This has nothing to do with corruption, as would be cut

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