Issue
04/26
Location
Berlin, Germany
Where Berlin’s vibrant, untamed art scene once throbbed within a famous architectural ruin, the Am Tacheles area is awaking to new life. Renowned architectural firm Herzog & de Meuron has created an entirely new urban quarter here. Right at its heart: Curator Maj van der Linden, who has established a new platform for collectible design, craftsmanship, and fine art inside Townhouse 068.
Maj van der Linden is far more than a traditional gallerist – she is an interior designer, curator, and networker all in one. Her passion for design began with sourcing vintage furniture and working within Berlin’s art and auction scene. Today, her work seamlessly unites art, fine craftsmanship, design, and architecture. With her gallery, she has built a platform centered on contemporary material practice – spanning furniture and ceramics to textiles and lighting.
With her new location at Townhouse 068 (Johannisstraße 14, Berlin), Maj van der Linden has, as of this summer, expanded her gallery near Weinbergspark with a unique space dedicated to collectible design, materiality, and spatial concepts. While the ground-floor showroom highlights artisanal quality and independent studios – many originating from Berlin – the basement is dedicated to rotating exhibitions exploring the intersections of art and interior design.
The New Exhibition: “Narratives of Making”
Three curated cycles per year focus on the dynamic dialogue between object, function, and atmosphere. Timed perfectly for Berlin Art Week and as part of the Currents Design Festival in September, the gallery unveils its next chapter: Under the title “Narratives of Making – Contemporary Positions from Art and Collectible Design,” Maj van der Linden presents a curated group exhibition. The showcase creates visibility for female artists creating across disciplines such as textiles, wood, metal, ceramics, and glass, who process personal narratives and societal questions through their works.
Exhibiting artists and designers include:
Claire de Santa Coloma, Clara Schweers, Dahm Lee, Emi Shimura, Hanna Fastrich, Julika Hartz, Karen Verlinden, Myriam Perrot, Saskia de Brauw, Studio Jumi, Tanja Neubert, Ursula Wagner, and Zeynep Boyan.
Embedded in a Historic Urban Quarter
Choosing this location for contemporary art was no coincidence. The gallery in Townhouse 068 engages in a direct dialogue with the architecture of the new Am Tacheles district, designed by the celebrated Swiss firm Herzog & de Meuron.
The site looks back on a checkered history: Built in the early 20th century as the grand Friedrichstraßenpassage and partially destroyed in World War II, the surviving structural ruin was on the verge of demolition in 1990. That same year, a passionate artists’ initiative squatted the building, saved it from destruction, and established the “Kunsthaus Tacheles” as a global symbol of Berlin counterculture. Following its clearance in 2012, the site remained a vacant urban gap in the center of Berlin-Mitte for years.
Herzog & de Meuron closed this gap not through mere reconstruction, but by intentionally opening the building structures toward the city. They crafted an inner passage, courtyards, and plazas that render the quarter accessible to the public.
Modern Living in Berlin
A central element of this transformation is the residential ensemble Wohnen AM TACHELES. It comprises five individually designed residential buildings – ranging from column-free lofts to spacious urban apartments – complemented by gastronomy, culture, and retail spaces on the ground floors. Herzog & de Meuron’s urban design approach seeks to intertwine private living spaces with vibrant, publicly accessible quarter life.
Amir Rothkegel of Wohnen AM TACHELES emphasizes that contemporary art and design are an essential component of this environment today:
After the fall of the Berlin Wall, the 'Kunsthaus Tacheles' was a symbol for the free, wild art scene that defined Berlin’s reputation for many years. For us, preserving this creative DNA and energy is a matter of the heart, as is carrying it into the future through extraordinary art and cultural events within the quarter. With MAJ VAN DER LINDEN, we are continuing this tradition—with a gallery whose publicly accessible spaces make contemporary design and craft visible and tangible for everyone in the neighborhood.
Visitor Information
Gallery: MAJ VAN DER LINDEN (Townhouse 068)
Address: Johannisstraße 14, 10117 Berlin-Mitte (AM TACHELES)
Exhibition Period: September to December 2026
Opening Hours: Saturdays from 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM and by appointment.
Merle Wilkening
As a Senior Editor at GG Magazine, Merle Wilkening writes about the people, places, and ideas that shape our world. She is most in her element interviewing personalities who speak about their passions with genuine enthusiasm. Driven by curiosity, her travels regularly take her toward the sun in search of unique encounters and the stories behind the world’s most captivating destinations. Her culinary pursuits range from local neighborhood gems to Michelin-starred dining.
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