Editing Renzo Piano (section)

===Potsdamer Platz, Berlin (1992–2000)===
[[Potsdamer Platz]] is a historic triangle in the heart of Berlin Germany, which had been largely destroyed during World War II, and then divided by the [[Berlin Wall]] between East and West Berlin. When a major reconstruction was commenced in 1990, Piano was selected to design the new buildings on five of the fifteen sites of the project, with the requirement that the buildings have roofs of copper, and facades of clear glass and materials of a baked earth color. Other architects engaged in the enormous project included [[Rafael Moneo]], [[Arata Isozaki]], and his former partner, [[Richard Rogers]]. The centerpiece of Piano's part of the project was the Debis building, composed of four different buildings of different sizes but in the same style. Distinctive elements include an atrium {{convert|28|m}} high, and a 21-story tower whose east, south and west facades are covered with double walls of glass separated by {{cvt|28|cm}}, which reduced the need for air conditioning and heating. The complex also included an [[IMAX]] movie theater, restaurant and shops. The {{convert|36|m|adj=on}} dome of the IMAX theater was visible from a distance and also from the street, through the clear glass of the facade.{{Sfn|Jodidio|2016|page=45}} Piano wrote in ''The Disobedience of the Architect'' (2004) that he tried to match his architecture to the personality of a city. "The Berliners are accustomed to living outdoors, and to a certain form of conviviality."  The new Potsdamer Platz was designed to capture the Berliner's "sense of gaiety, their sense of humor....Why should a city be demoralizing?  The beautiful thing about a city is that it is a place of meetings and surprises."{{Sfn|Piano|2009|page=83}}