Snøhetta, SANAA and Sou Fujimoto among big hitters in the running to design Berlin art museum
by Kim Megson | 04 Jul 2016
The new museum will be located on a site within Berlin's Cultural Forum / SPK/ photothek.net/Michael Gottschalk
The international architecture competition to design a Museum of 20th Century Art in Berlin is entering its final stages, with 42 firms asked to submit their proposals before a decision is made by the end of the year.
Sou Fujimoto, Zaha Hadid Architects, David Chipperfield, Herzog & de Meuron, REX Architecture, OMA, Snøhetta, SANAA and UNStudio are among those to have qualified from previous rounds, or who have been invited to submit ideas by the jury. The entrants now have until mid-September to submit their plans and models, and the jury will meet in late October.
In November 2014, the German Bundestag and the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation decided to provide €200m (US$223m, £167.5m) to create the museum on the site of the Cultural Forum, which houses most of the city's most popular attractions. The new building is needed to showcase the extensive 20th century collection of the National Gallery.
“I want a building that sets a new mark at this location, but also brings the necessary openness,” said Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation president Hermann Parzinger. “We will combine outstanding architectural and urban design with the requirements of a museum in the 21st century.”
Culture minister Monika Grütter added: "We have attracted some really high profile architectural practices for this challenging construction task. This creates the best conditions for us to have a museum design that compares with the surrounding work of Scharoun, Stüler and Mies van der Rohe.
“This is an attractive challenge for any renowned agency to build in this neighbourhood. We expect exciting and bold designs without challenging the existing ensemble in question."
Snøhetta SANAA Sou Fujimoto Zaha Hadid David Chipperfield Berlin Museum of 20th Century Art27 Oct 2015
'Sensational' Volker Staab design wins Berlin museum prize
11 Apr 2011
Berlin museum secures EU design prize
The international architecture competition to design a Museum of 20th Century Art in Berlin is entering its final stages, with 42 firms asked to submit their proposals before a decision is made by the end of the year. Sou Fujimoto, Zaha Hadid Architects, David Chipperfield, Herzog & de Meuron, REX Architecture, OMA, Snøhetta, SANAA and UNStudio are among those to have qualified from previous rounds, or who have been invited
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by Helen Andrews | 20 Apr 2026
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by Magali Robathan | 16 Apr 2026
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by Helen Andrews | 14 Apr 2026
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by Helen Andrews | 13 Apr 2026
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by Helen Andrews | 27 Mar 2026
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by Helen Andrews | 05 Mar 2026
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Design firm 4a Architekten has shared details of the recently-completed extension to the wellness facilities at destination spa park Salinarium Bad Dürkheim Thermal Spa in Germany. The upgrades to the leisure pool facility, which has been in operation since 1984, included the addition of a thermal spa and sauna in a new building that integrated sensitively into the landscape. Commissioned by the facility’s operator, utility company Stadtwerke Bad Dürkheim, the
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by Helen Andrews | 04 Mar 2026
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by Helen Andrews | 03 Mar 2026
A new floating wellbeing destination with a public park, residential and wellness facility is planned for a 12-hectare stretch of water within London’s Royal Docks, in the UK. The development is part of a wider regeneration of the Royal Docks to create a diverse waterfront, backed by £5 billion (US$6.35 billion, €5.85 billion) of investment over the next 20 years. The aim is to make the area a mixed-use development
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by Helen Andrews | 03 Mar 2026
Janu, a brand by the Aman Group, will open its second location in 2027, in Dubai, UAE – with a wellness and fitness space measuring 1,700sq m and a separate inaugural private members’ Janu Club. Developed by Dubai-based developer H&H, the 150-key hotel and 57 private residences will be located in a mixed-use development that measures 1.3 million sq ft in the heart of the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC).
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