KWGK Berlin
Competition - Exhibition Design
Location: Berlin, Germany
Area: 1160 m2
Project partner: Büro Wien
Year: 2023
Team
Dawit Kassaw | Gerhard Abel, Sara Borjanovic, Corina Danninger, Birgitta Kunsch, Klaudia Lisak, Ana Nistor, Fit Phuong
Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church Berlin - Landmark of remembrance
The place-sensitive concept maximizes the potential of this historically significant site: targeted interventions generate added value, leverage synergies, and create a unique future perspective for the church and the entire building ensemble. The result is a high-quality, sustainable, and attractive urban living space. The KWDK becomes a vital condensation point for Berlin's urban life, with the "Old Tower" at its center as the main narrative of the story.
A SYMBOL OF EXPERIENCE
An open, free-standing staircase symbolizes the "new experience" of the "Old Tower". The visible movement of visitors invites curiosity and encourages exploration. The connection between the exterior staircase and the elevator provides a clear circulation path across all levels, creating a spatial experience with ever-changing perspectives of the Old Tower, the ensemble, and the surrounding cityscape.
ACCESS & CONNECTION
The exterior staircase and elevator form the central vertical circulation axis up to Level +2, enabling barrier-free access to the Memorial Hall and Visitor Center. Access control for Levels +1 and +2 is exclusively managed in the southern apse, ensuring clear and straightforward orientation for visitors while easing the flow in the Memorial Hall.
REFINING THE TOWER
By relocating functions such as the ticket office, shop, information desk, café, staff rooms, and storage to the new Visitor Center on Level -1, the church interior is restored to its essential purpose as the central exhibition space. Building systems are integrated into the new area, allowing the "Old Tower" to serve as an open and unobstructed exhibition venue, free from functional overload.
THE RUIN AS A MEMORIAL
The "Old Tower" remains preserved as an authentic ruin, retaining all its scars. A spatial pathway allows visitors to experience the entirety of the tower with minimally invasive measures for accessibility, safety, and technology. Except for the special exhibition on Level 2, there are no enclosed rooms, offering continuously shifting perspectives on the past and present.
A NEW URBAN LIVING SPACE
The new Visitor Center beneath Breitscheidplatz intervenes respectfully and visually, creating an inviting and open stage for both the church and the city. It provides orientation, information, and a place for calm, while maintaining an open dialogue with its urban surroundings. The sunken forecourt serves as a welcoming meeting place with high-quality spaces for exchange and interaction. It marks the starting point of the exhibition and forms the interface between the ensemble and the new location on Budapester Straße.
