In 1991, the Berlin Senate organized an urban-development competition, without the owners of the land or the investors being involved. The specifications laid down generally binding instructions for the development of Potsdamer Platz and Leipziger Platz to which the architectural drafts for the individual investors should later refer.
- Draft by Hilmer und Sattler 1991
The draft selected by the Senate, submitted by Hilmer and Sattler, an office of architects in Munich, laid down explicit instructions for the entire area: a block layout with 35 meters eaves height, accentuated by higher buildings along the Landwehr Canal and at Potsdamer Platz, and a street grid closely oriented towards the historical layout.
- Draft by Richard Rogers 1991
An alternative draft developed for the investors by Richard Rogers triggered a discussion with the Senate that led to a flexible interpretation of the proposals of Hilmer and Sattler.
