Right in the heart of Berlin lies a small, tranquil body of water that many visitors to Berlin simply overlook: the Piano Lake. Yet a detour to this hidden aquatic oasis is particularly worthwhile.

The lake owes its name to the Italian star architect Renzo Piano, who, as the master planner of the district in the 1990s, played a key role in shaping the modern-day appearance of Potsdamer Platz.
Rising from the Piano Lake is also the 14-metre-high sculpture ‘Galileo’ by Mark di Suvero. Its steel struts are arranged as if bolts of lightning were shooting up into the sky against their natural direction of impact. Named after the Italian scientist Galileo Galilei, di Suvero’s monumental sculpture also pays homage to the universal genius’s research into gravity.

The lake’s area, spanning around 1.3 hectares, surprises visitors with its remarkable biodiversity: even turtles swim peacefully through the clear water, whilst all around them the city’s traffic shows little sign of slowing down. It is precisely this contrast that makes Piano Lake so special. A place of tranquillity, just a few steps away from the bustling hustle and bustle of Potsdamer Platz.

Piano Lake has long been an insider’s tip amongst Berliners and travellers looking to escape the hustle and bustle of the city for a short while. Anyone sitting here forgets for a moment that they are in the middle of a metropolis — and realises why Renzo Piano’s vision for Potsdamer Platz was far more than just architecture.