DISTANCE TRAINS WERE DUE TO STOP THERE EARLY SUNDAY. THE "HAUPTBAHNHOF" IS BUILT ON THE SITE OF THE OLD LEHRTER BAHNHOF, THE LAST "WESTERN" STATION TRAVELLERS SAW BEFORE TRAINS ENTERED THE EAST OF THE CITY IN THE DAYS BEFORE THE COMMUNIST-BUILT BERLIN WALL WAS PULLED DOWN. BUT THE CONSTRUCTION WAS NOT WITHOUT CONTROVERSY. ARCHITECT MEINHARD VON GERKAN WAS FURIOUS WHEN RAILWAY BOSSES DECIDED TO SHORTEN THE LENGTH OF THE ROOF SPANNING THE EAST-WEST TRACKS BY A QUARTER - TO 305 METRES - IN A BID TO CUT COSTS. GERKAN, WHO WAS NOT PRESENT AT THE OPENING CEREMONY, SAID THEIR ACTION HAD REDUCED HIS DESIGN TO A "TORSO." FURTHER RECRIMINATION FOLLOWED WHEN BUILDERS MADE CHANGES TO THE DESIGN OF THE UNDERGROUND HALL, WHERE NORTH-SOUTH TRAINS WILL STOP. GERKAN'S PLAN WAS FOR THE CEILING TO ARCH AND UNDULATE OVER THE PLATFORM'S TRACKS. INSTEAD, DEUTSCHE BAHN SETTLED FOR A FLAT, GREY METAL CEILING, WHICH THE ARCHITECT CLAIMED LEFT THE HUGE HALLWAY LOOKING LIKE A SUPERMARKET. NEVERTHELESS, MEHDORN IS HAPPY WITH THE NEW DESIGN: "I'M DELIGHTED. BERLIN CAN BE PROUD OF THIS STATION. I'M SURE IT WILL BE THE ENVY OF MANY CITIES," HE SAID. IT REMAINS TO BE SEEN HOW BERLINERS WILL TAKE TO THE NEW STATION. ALTHOUGH LOCATED IN THE CENTRE OF THE CITY, THERE ARE NO UNDERGROUND COMMUTER TRAIN OR TRAM CONNECTIONS AND THE SURROUNDING AREA IS DOMINATED BY OFFICE BLOCKS, GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS AND OPEN LAND. -
