Berlin nightclub ://about blank is concerned about its future in Friedrichshain as plans to construct a new hotel next to the nightclub have been approved.

According to Berliner Zeitung, the Berlin Senate has sanctioned the development of a 240-room hotel “barely 100 metres” from the venue on Laskerstraße, near Ostkreuz.

The Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg district has previously resisted such proposals, but despite political opposition, the hotel is set to be built – though the opening date remains uncertain.

Speaking to Berliner Zeitung, club spokesperson Sulu Martini expressed that the construction poses a “threat to ://about blank and all other DIY cultural projects” 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 stated.

Martini further noted that the presence of a neighboring club and hotel would inevitably lead to conflict, emphasizing that the venue has been in its current location for approximately 15 years.

Other nearby venues that may be impacted include the non-profit event space Raumerweiterungshalle and the open-air bar Zuckerzauber.

In a recent statement, Berlin’s Club Commission has also voiced opposition to the hotel plans, labeling it a “short-sighted urban development policy that repeatedly undermines cultural spaces and social structures.”

They warned that the establishment of a new hotel could jeopardize ://about blank’s future due to potential noise complaints, leading to an unfavorable outcome for the club.

The venues future has faced threats in the past, particularly after a proposed motorway extension aimed to pass through nightlife areas in Mitte, Charlottenburg, Tempelhof, and Neukölln, which could displace several clubs.