The former Narva-Turm, is a striking glass tower located on Warschauer Straße in Berlin-Friedrichshain. The colorful, illuminated glass cube was designed by the architects Schweger und Partner and completed in 2000. The cube itself is 21 meters high, while the entire Narva-Turm rises 63 meters above the city. Originally, this site was home to the Narva factory, which produced light bulbs for the DDR and much of the former Eastern Bloc. The factory closed in 1992, resulting in the loss of 5,000 jobs -a significant moment in Berlin’s post-reunification economic history.

In the early 2000s, the tower became a symbol of Berlin’s New Economy boom, housing companies like the internet firm Pixelpark. However, after the dot-com bubble burst, the building was used only sporadically for parties and events. The arrival of BASF marked a new chapter: BASF chose Berlin over alternative locations in Poland and Slovakia, reflecting a broader structural transformation in the city.

Photographically, this image was captured on Kodak Ektar 100. After scanning, I corrected the orientation and removed major dust particles.

I’m always fascinated by how Berlin’s architecture tells the story of the city’s economic and social changes. The Narva-Turm, with its layers of industrial, digital, and service economy history, is a perfect example.