City palace

Assimilation – modification – conservation

The Humboldtforum was established with the idea of a cosmopolitain attitude, intercultural encounters and the fusion of arts and sciences. It is to become an educational place, a place for encounters and exchanges. Inquisitive and curious minds embrace diversity, build bridges and strive to fathom the greater picture. Our own culture forms the foundations that endure nurturing; foundations that change with time. Foundations, upon which we build new realms.

A democratic decision was taken to partially rebuild, which is the foundation for this place, the starting point for what is to come. The history of its transformations, of accepting the new, of amending the old. Further renewals will ensue these new beginnings. New uses require new spaces. These new spaces are embedded in the historical volumes. The design pursues the principal of assimilating, modifying and conserving. The competition entry is one of gentle modesty, paving the way for subsequent chapters.

Function and space

The agora, metaphorically a doorway to the world, is located in the centre of the building. It acts as an agent between all the building’s functions. Its event spaces look out onto on the river banks of the Spree and are connected to the entrance by the Schlüterhof passageway. The joint function room shared by all three institutions, equipped with walkable skylights, is situated beneath the Schlüterhof. The western part of the building is devoted to educational experiences and exhibition spaces. The eastern part accommodates the state library on the ground floor with its emphasis on children’s literature. A concept space run by the Humboldt University, which is focused around the interface between science and art, is placed in a central area of the building on the first floor. The baroque art chamber in the domed hall is understood to be the root of the museum. Therefore, the proposal for a museum dedicated to the house of the Hohenzollern has been taken into consideration and reappears on the second floor. Soaring high above on the top floor is the interdisciplinary special exhibition space – intended to deal with the great questions of mankind.

Inner structure

How can we aim to limit the construction period of the building to a minimum, withal reconstructing lengthy façade elements of utmost complexity? How do we strive towards a harmonious triad of reconstruction, modification and expansion?

A self-supporting brick shell encases the reinforced concrete skeleton. The quality of the bricks is selected based on the particular thermal and physical requirements. Building services are enclosed within the walls. The outer shell of bricks follows the original structure and composition of the façade in close detail. This way, the highly meticulous reconstruction works are granted and can even be implemented on a step-by-step basis, in accordance with available funds and expertise. This same principle is pursued in the assembly of the modern elements. It is a principle which negotiates between creating historically proportioned spaces and the modern spatial components accordingly. It ensures a structural and aesthetic correspondence between the inner core and the outer shell. The outer masonry enables a reconstruction of the old and a creation of the new. The design concept allows for four types of spaces:

Type 1: Structural reconstruction
Type 2: Structural and aesthetically reconstruction
Type 3: New construction and transformational aesthetics
Type 4: Structural reconstruction and new construction

The eastern façade – the palace – the town

The strong correlation between the palace and the town defines the urban realm. Historically, the palace has always been the focal point of the town. It marks its midpoint as well as its boundaries. The eastern façade embraces the borough of Mitte and the increased relevance it has gained for the city. The new stairways are opened up towards the outside, interacting with it‘s surroundings. This gesture is inspired by Schlüter‘s old idea to connect the inner courtyard to the river Spree. A new bridge allows one to experience the contrast between the palace and the city at its best.

The palace, the heart of the city, is made accessible from every side. Together with a clearly designed spatial concept on the inside, the building radiates its significance as a public forum. In addition to the stairways along the eastern façade the idea of openness and sincerity is conveyed by the central staircase in the agora, the Schlüterhof passageway and the Eosander courtyard that remains open – all despite the complex spatial concept of the building. The eastern façade is an adaptation of Schinkel’s baroque façade. The plinth has been designed with the new need for smaller-scale office units in mind without disrupting the original vertical composition and ceiling heights elsewhere. The new pharmacy wing on the northern end is a modern take on the spatial function of the original building.

Iconography – sculpture – expansion

What does expansion mean for a place devoted to a holistic approach to education and knowledge in the historical core of Berlin? The palace was a work of art, a synthesis of structure, scale, sculpture and painting, all concluding in an impression of vivid sensuality portrayed in iconographical theories. The proposition for a new eastern façade based on Schlüter’s original composition as well as an elemental artistic concept are prompted by the commemoration of the historical palace and the overall aspiration for an interplay between art and architecture. The elements of the new building can be divided into four groups, each one blending in with the original architectural composition and adapting the sensuousness of baroque style:

• Exhibition spaces below the Schlüterhof and the stairways are endowed with sculptural banisters

• A modern frieze defining the upper finish on the eastern façade picturing an open horizon of flowing forms

• A system of vividly elaborate cast cornices appears in a number of prestigious rooms throughout the building.

• The modern texture of the new flooring proves that minimalist motions and the baroque architectural style are the two counterparts that allow infinite possibilities