Berlin techno museum location revealed

Last year Dimitri Hegemann, founder of Berlin’s Tresor club, announced plans to open a techno museum in the German capital. Although he prefers the Living Archive of Electronica as a title for the venture, stating that the term ‘museum’ denotes “something that belongs to past.”

It has now been revealed that the cultural spot will open within the former power station that has housed Tresor since 2007.

Speaking about the project, Hegemann noted the role a lack of dominant culture within Berlin after the fall of the wall had in enabling subcultures such as dance music to flourish. The LAoE aims to celebrate the importance of this subculture to the city.

He said: “None of the plans laid for the future of the city after the fall of the Wall worked out. An ‘economy of niches’ ended up in its place: open a club or a gallery, a restaurant, a bar, etc. That economy of niches dictated what to do next, and it’s what has made Berlin so attractive.”

Berlin enticed 30 million overnight visitors last year, with Hegemann estimating that “50 per cent to 60 per cent” of the those were attracted by subculture.

“Today 80 per cent of our clientele doesn’t speak German. But what all these people have in common is that they have been marked by this ‘culture of renewal’ that took shape here, which became a movement and has transformed Berlin up until today,” he said.

According to Hegemann the project will be experiential. He’s aiming to “convey the feeling” of the atmosphere in Berlin basements during the rise of techno.

Opening up about these plans, he revealed: “I think of a place where visitors will come inside: suddenly, it gets dark, the fog machine gets going, a DJ appears in the distance, a bar rises up from the ground, the bass resonates and then the party’s started. A museum of the senses for those who don’t go to the club.”

[Via: Star2]

Patrick Hinton is Mixmag's Digital Intern, follow him on Twitter