Berlin imposes strict rules on any architect wishing to erect a new building, rules drawn up and enforced by the city’s powerful director of urban development. The strict code has had some benefits, but overall, Lisa Rochon says that it is killing German architecture. “Urban-design regulations and zoning bylaws… dictate the maximum height of the building (22 metres), a setback for upper storeys, a careful ratio between window openings and masonry walls and a preference for buff-coloured limestone. The preferred elevation looks taut and minimal. The result is an architectural flatness that, when combined with the city’s grey winter light, can deaden the human spirit.”