The Architecture
The site where the Future Center is being built has a dynamic history. Over a hundred years ago, it was the elegant entrance gate to Halle. Later, in the GDR, Riebeckplatz became the busiest traffic junction in the republic. While underground passageways branched out beneath the surface, the country’s first elevated road passed through the air above.
But soon the square was considered confusing, the roads dangerous – accidents became frequent. In the early 2000s, Riebeckplatz was therefore comprehensively redesigned: In the largest inner-city road construction project in East Germany, mistakes were corrected, potential was recognized – and the foundations were laid for a more open, more livable design of this central location.
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Exterior view of the winning design
Source: RICHTER MUSIKOWSKI Architekten PartGmbB
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Landscape architect Tobias Micke and architects Christoph Richter and Jan Musikowski with their design.
It is no coincidence that the Future Center is to be built right here. When an independent jury – composed of representatives from science, architecture, urban development, and civil society – decided on the location in 2023, the city of Halle convinced not only with its own experience in dealing with social change, but also with the development potential of the site. The new construction of the Future Center can set sustainable and important impulses in the “Riebeckplatz” area – which is not yet as inviting as it should be.
But what should such an open house look like in concrete terms?
The city on the Saale River also scored points with: its central location in the heart of Central Germany, the renowned research institutions and universities on site, as well as the committed urban society, without which such a center, which not only unites science and culture under one roof but is also meant to be a vibrant place for exchange and encounter, can hardly become part of urban life.
But what should such an open house look like in concrete terms? Answers were provided by an architectural competition that was internationally announced in 2024. The participating architectural firms were asked to design an architecture with radiance – forward-looking, innovative, and sustainable.
Can a building act as a welcoming gesture, be inviting, open-hearted as well as impressive? At the same time, the architecture should be versatile in use and also be a bow to the life achievements of the many people who have experienced and shaped transformation. In addition, the building should meet the highest energy requirements and rely on resource-conserving solutions to meet these.
126 renowned architectural firms submitted their designs. In April 2025, the citizens of the city had the opportunity to examine and comment on the selected designs in the form of models and drawings – their feedback became part of the decision-making process. The independent jury met on April 28 and 29, chose the winning design and presented it to the public on April 30.
The completion of the building is scheduled for 2030 – just in time for the 40th anniversary of German Unity. What will then stand in Halle is an architectural statement for cohesion, new beginnings, and the power of a shared future – in a place where transformation is tradition.
Information on the planning competition of the Federal Office for Building and Regional Planning can be found here.
