After the Second World War, the western half of Berlin found itself in a very curious situation. This group of city suburbs, which included the chic shopping and theatre district of Charlottenburg, was suddenly declared a separate entity from the eastern part of the city, which included the entire city centre district.

After the fall of the Wall, West Berlin went through a tough decade of reorientation, as investment and visitors headed east to the original city centre. Now however, the West is undergoing something of a revival. Next to the newly renovated Gedächtniskirche stands the gleaming new Waldorf Astoria, overlooking the revolutionary Bikini Berlin concept mall and the linked 25hours Hotel Bikini Berlin. Just across the tracks the C/O Berlin photo gallery opened in late 2014. And over in Mitte, the intriguing West:Berlin exhibition runs until summer 2015.