The research project ‘VR reconstruction and digital preservation of Berlin club culture’ aims to create virtual 3D and VR archives that preserve the physical and cultural features of Berlin clubs for future access. The project is a collaboration between the Technical University of Berlin and the University of the Arts, and it is led by Steffen Lepa and Anita Jóri. The initiative focuses on documenting club interiors, spatial layouts, and sound characteristics to form a lasting digital record. The virtual archive is presented as a tool to document the cultural heritage of Berlin’s club scene.

Project teams photograph and measure premises, build detailed 3D models, and document acoustics as part of the reconstruction workflow. The archive also includes interviews with club operators and other participants from the club scene. The club Renate has been reconstructed as a 3D model, and work is ongoing on Jonny Knüppel, which is planned to close by the end of the year. Other clubs in development include E-Werk and Bunker. The long-term plan envisages providing accessible VR headsets to navigate reconstructed clubs while listening to original music, and earlier related work in 2022 included a 1:1 scale sand model of a club on Leipziger Straße recreated by Anne de Vries for a Tresor project at Kraftwerk.

The research project ‘VR reconstruction and digital preservation of Berlin club culture’ is led by Steffen Lepa and Anita Jóri. The project is a collaboration between the Technical University of Berlin (TU Berlin) and the University of the Arts (UdK). The initiative aims to digitally preserve Berlin clubs by creating a virtual archive that documents the physical and cultural features of the city’s club scene.

Project teams photograph and measure premises, build detailed 3D models, document acoustics, and include interviews with club operators and other participants in the club scene. The project’s long-term plan envisages providing accessible VR headsets to navigate reconstructed clubs while listening to original music.

The project documents club interiors by photographing and measuring premises to capture spatial and material details. Those recorded measurements and photographs are used to create detailed 3D models of club spaces. Acoustic characteristics of venues are documented alongside physical measurements to preserve sound properties of the spaces. The project archive incorporates interviews with club operators and other club scene participants as part of the documentation.

Photographs, measurements, 3D models, acoustic records and interview materials are assembled into a virtual archive intended to preserve the documented elements for future access. The project has reconstructed Renate as a 3D model and is working on Jonny Knüppel, with other clubs in development including E-Werk and Bunker. The long-term plan includes providing accessible VR headsets to navigate reconstructed clubs while listening to original music. Work on the reconstructions is ongoing. The available sources do not provide this information.

The project has reconstructed Renate as a 3D model. Work is ongoing on Jonny Knüppel, which will close by the end of the year. Other clubs in development include E-Werk and Bunker. Photographs, measured dimensions, detailed 3D modelling and acoustic documentation are used to produce the reconstructions and are incorporated into the project’s virtual archive. Interviews with club operators and other scene participants are included alongside the physical and acoustic records for these club reconstructions.

In 2022, Anne de Vries recreated a 1:1 scale sand model of a club on Leipziger Straße. The sand model was created for Tresor 31 and the installation took place at Kraftwerk. The available sources do not provide additional details about the sand model or the installation.

The project’s long-term plan includes making reconstructed clubs accessible via VR headsets that allow users to navigate the reconstructed spaces while listening to original music. The plan presents VR headsets as the intended delivery format for public access to the virtual reconstructions. The available sources do not provide information about distribution channels, specific headset models, locations where headsets will be available, or implementation timelines.

The project’s virtual archive assembles photographic records, measured dimensions, detailed 3D models, documented acoustics, and interviews with club operators and other participants from the club scene. These assembled materials are intended to be accessible through the planned VR headsets. The available sources do not provide technical specifications for the VR user interface, accessibility standards, or details about user experience design.

Conclusion

This is the conclusion of the document. Here, we wrap up the main points and provide final thoughts.

The project ‘VR reconstruction and digital preservation of Berlin club culture’ is led by Steffen Lepa and Anita Jóri and conducted in collaboration between the Technical University of Berlin (TU Berlin) and the University of the Arts (UdK). Its stated objective is to create a virtual archive that documents Berlin club interiors, measured dimensions, detailed 3D models, acoustic characteristics and interviews with club operators and other scene participants to preserve those elements for future access.

The project has reconstructed Renate as a 3D model, is working on Jonny Knüppel, and lists E-Werk and Bunker among other clubs in development, while earlier related work in 2022 included a 1:1 scale sand model by Anne de Vries for Tresor 31 at Kraftwerk.

Overall, I don’t feel so good about the prospect that this might only remain a digital keepsake.

A cautious undertone is present in the source material, expressed in the quoted remark, and the available information does not provide further detail on distribution, technical specifications or timelines for public access via VR headsets.