Romanian–born, Berlin–based architect Oana Stănescu is a powerhouse. She’s worked on projects for Kanye West, Coachella & MoMA and taught at Harvard & Columbia.

Berlin

"One thing that took me by surprise when I first came to Berlin was recognizing some of the more Eastern-style buildings, especially in East Berlin. You have the Eastern European roughness or bluntness that is at the intersection of Berlin like the Kino International."

Kino International

"Do You Read Me?!" is good if you want something more on the leisurely side, but they also stock a lot of really great architecture books. Oh and there are really great ice-cream places, one next to Do You Read Me?! and one next to Pro qm, which is very important."

Do You Read Me?!

"Pro qm, which is in Mitte and has very nerdy stuff for architects."

Pro qm

"For more bookstores, Walther König of course is a classic and another problematic one for me."

Buchhandlung Walther König

"I'm a big sucker for the Hamburger Bahnhof, always have been. I like enjoying lunch and then heading to the bookshop. Berlin has many great museums and galleries, but I’ve always had a soft spot for the Bahnhof."

Museum für Gegenwart

"From the sound of the orchestra to the space, it was extremely moving and a totalgesamtkunstwerk. I'm trying to go on a weekly basis because it takes you out of your head and is an otherworldly experience."

Berliner Philharmonie