://about blank fears for future after adjacent hotel plans given green light

Berlin nightclub ://about blank is fearful of its future in Friedrichshain as plans to build a new hotel adjacent to the nightclub have been given the green light.

According to Berliner Zeitung, the Berlin Senate has approved plans to build a 240-room hotel “barely 100 metres” from the venue on Laskerstraße, close to Ostkreuz.

The Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg district has so far resisted proposals, but despite political opposition, the hotel is now due to be built – though it’s currently unclear when it’s due to open.

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Speaking to Berliner Zeitung, club spokesperson Sulu Martini explained that the build poses a “threat to ://about blank and all other DIY cultural projects” operating in the area.

“Until now, we had assumed that the Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg district had the authority to decide what is and is not sensible in terms of planning and politically acceptable in the Laskerkiez,” they said.

Martini also added that the existence of a neighbouring club and hotel wouldn’t be possible "without conflict”, noting the venue has remained in the same location for some 15 years.

Other nearby spaces that could be affected include non-profit events space Raumerweiterungshalle and open-air bar Zuckerzauber, they add.

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In a recent statement to Resident Advisor, Berlin’s Club Commission has also opposed proposals, calling it a “short-sighted urban development policy that repeatedly undermines cultural spaces and social structures.“

They added that the opening of a new hotel could threaten ://about blank’s future with fear of noise complaints, “with a likely disadvantageous outcome for the club.“

The future of the venue has previously come under threat after a proposed new motorway extension looked to run through nightlife areas in Mitte, Charlottenburg, Tempelhof and Neukölln, potentially displacing several clubs.

[Via: Berliner Zeitung]

Gemma Ross is Mixmag's Associate Digital Editor, follow her on Twitter