Bard College Berlin News
Bard College Berlin purchases three historical industrial monument buildings at Monopol Berlin to secure permanent home of the arts
Monopol Berlin has extraordinary potential as a still under-developed site within easy reach of the city center and the collegeʼs main campus. One of Berlinʼs last available industrial spaces, the earliest buildings in the complex were built in 1899 and stand as testament to the cityʼs architectural history. Originally the nineteenth-century Ostdeutsche Spritfabrik (East German Spirit Factory), and later the Federal Monopoly Administration for Spirits, Monopol has developed into a lively public cultural venue over the years under the direction of the non-profit association Monopol e.V., which brings together local and international artists for performances, workshops, and conferences.
The purchase of Monopol Berlin follows the 2023 launch of Bard College Berlin’s BA program in Artistic Practice and Society, which connects artistic work with social responsibility. Students at Bard College Berlin learn to combine their academic and artistic abilities with nuanced powers of reflection and judgment, as well as civil society engagement. The Monopol Berlin Arts Campus provides the necessary infrastructure for this program to be effectively implemented, with spaces which serve simultaneously as places of learning and production. Here students and faculty will practice their artistic disciplines at the highest level, and create a direct exchange with the public through exhibitions, performances, discussions, and other events.
The three purchased buildings are the Director’s House, the Casino, and the Fire Station, which have been leased by Bard College Berlin since 2023. The Director’s House underwent renovations last year, transforming the 1924 brick structure into light-drenched painting studios and exhibition space featuring large windows and original wood flooring. This space serves as classrooms for painting and mixed media, with collaborative shared studios for foundational courses and private studios for advanced students.
The Casino is a spacious hall located on the upper floor of a 1950s post-war building, boasting wood paneling, rustic chandeliers, and stained glass windows in the 1930’s "Heimatstil" (homeland style). Originally built for staff meetings and celebrations, the hall will become a space where students can work theoretically, present their work, and enter into exchange with the public, through open studios or performances.
The Fire Station, a former garage from the same era, will be converted into an event space and serve as the public interface of the emerging Arts Campus. The large, open floorplan and wide bay doors offer a welcoming venue for a permanent cultural meeting point which brings BCB students and international artists together with the local community in the north of Berlin.
Monopol Berlin is already home to a lively creative ecosystem, featuring professional workshops including the Berlin Glas studio and the School of Sculpture. Partnerships with these institutions grant students the opportunity to train alongside teaching artists in professional-grade facilities.
Established in the aftermath of the Cold War, Bard College Berlin is rooted in the city's role as a political and artistic hub at the intersection of East and West. While the main academic campus lies in the historic East Berlin neighborhood of Pankow-Niederschönhausen, Monopol Berlin marks the college’s first expansion into the former West—situated just 500 meters across the borderline. Just as Bard College Berlin unites the American liberal arts tradition with specialization of European universities, a campus that straddles the former Berlin wall symbolically bridges the culture and historical richness that Berlin offers as a place of learning.
Post Date: 02-12-2026