The winning design has been determined: The Berlin planning team Richter Musikowski Architekten PartG mbB Architekten and ST raum a. Landschaftsarchitektur will design the Future Center for German Unity and European Transformation in Halle (Saale).
Architect Jan Musikowski describes the design for the new building as a „house in the park“: „A unique piece that we have never built before.“ As Musikowski explained at the press conference on April 30 in Halle, the architects were „not interested in the gesture of a tower, but in a democratic expression that stands correspondingly calm. The building articulates itself with its gestures towards the city, without being too much of a ‚house‘.“
Inside, visitors can expect „a walkable landscape that can be discovered, perhaps initially communicative and stimulating – but the further you go in, the more intimate and contemplative it becomes, finally having a view of the future horizon on the roof terrace.“
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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.
The 15-member jury, chaired by architect Jórunn Ragnarsdóttir, who had previously viewed and evaluated the 24 finalists‘ designs in a two-day session, was convinced by the design “through a light-looking and at the same time concise design language that positions the Future Center as an identity-creating place with a strong effect in the urban space.”
With the selection of the winning design, the Future Center becomes “considerably more tangible”, according to Dr. Alexander Vogt, Mayor of the City of Halle (Saale): “The winning design enables discourse and debate. It sets a strong impulse for identification with the construction project. This is good and necessary.”
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Model image of the winning design
Source: RICHTER MUSIKOWSKI Architekten PartGmbB
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Interior view of the winning design
Source: RICHTER MUSIKOWSKI Architekten PartGmbB
The design by the planning team Sturm und Wartzeck and weihrauch+fischer gmbh was chosen for second place. Third place went to AV1 Architekten and HDK Dutt Kist GmbH.
A total of 126 teams from architecture and landscape architecture had applied for the realization of the Future Center. The 24 designs of the finalists as well as the other 102 submissions will be on display from June 14 in an exhibition at the Salinemuseum in Halle (Saale).
A Competition with High Standards
The Federal Office for Building and Regional Planning was entrusted with conducting the competition. The search was for a design that makes science, culture, and dialogue visible – and at the same time redesigns Riebeckplatz as an attractive connection between the main railway station and the city center. It was not only about a convincing architectural idea, but also about integrating the building harmoniously into the urban fabric, creating vibrant open spaces, enabling versatile use, and keeping energy needs low through a sustainable low-tech concept.
State Minister Carsten Schneider emphasized that the Future Center should become a vibrant place for societal dialogue – a place where the experiences of reunification help to better cope with current crises and strengthen democracy. Prime Minister Reiner Haseloff emphasized that the center would give new impulses not only to Saxony-Anhalt but to all of Germany: Here, answers to the future questions of our coexistence should emerge. Halle’s Mayor Alexander Vogt also referred to the citizen participation that had preceded the jury’s decision: “This underlines the democratic legitimacy of the project.”
What Happens Next?
In the coming months, the prize winners will enter into negotiations with the Federal Building Administration. Construction is planned to start in 2028, with completion scheduled for 2030.
Further Information on the Competition:
https://www.bbr.bund.de/wettbewerb-zukunftszentrum
https://www.bmwsb.bund.de/SharedDocs/pressemitteilungen/Webs/BMWSB/DE/2025/04/zukunftszentrum.html
Further Information on the Future Center:
https://www.ostbeauftragter.de/ostb-de/themen/zukunftszentrum
