A major architectural competition has been decided for the construction of new facilities at the Sachsenhausen Memorial and Museum in Oranienburg, Germany. The jury unanimously selected the design proposal by Lankes Koengeter Architekten and LA.BAR Landscape Architects, both based in Berlin, from among 17 competing entries in the closed realization competition.
The competition was organized to address the inadequate spatial and functional capacity of the existing Visitor Information Center (BIZ), which is currently housed in a historical building on the grounds of the former concentration camp. The project encompasses the construction of a new visitor center with approximately 860 square meters of usable space, a seminar building with around 880 square meters, and comprehensive landscape planning for the surrounding area.
The Sachsenhausen site holds significant historical importance as it served as a concentration camp during World War II and was later used by the Soviet Army as a special camp for several years after the war's end. Since the 1960s, the location has operated as a memorial site, and in 1993, it became part of the Brandenburg Memorials Foundation, a public foundation jointly funded by the state of Brandenburg and the federal government.
The Brandenburg State Office for Real Estate and Construction, representing the foundation, launched the competition in April 2025 following the RPW 2013 guidelines. The architectural firm Fiebig Schönwälder Zimmer from Berlin and Düsseldorf supervised the competition process. The jury, chaired by Wolfgang Lorch, announced their decision in early August 2025.
The winning design stands out for its innovative approach to combining the visitor information center and seminar building into a single, two-story cubic structure. This unified approach impressed the jury, who noted that the complex task was interpreted both independently and purposefully, solving the requirements in the simplest possible way. The design promises economic efficiency in both construction and operation phases.
Architecturally, the building features white insulating concrete with an outer layer of aluminum louvers for the facade. The ground floor houses the visitor information center, while the upper floor contains the seminar rooms. A subtle but clearly readable rotation of the upper building section creates a gentle refusal of the prevailing geometry, as described in the jury protocol.
The positioning of the new structure creates a forecourt with the neighboring historic casino building from the former camp, which the jury praised as an excellent urban planning pivot point for the camp grounds. The landscape architecture also received high marks from the evaluation panel. The design develops a grove of trees south of the building, creating a well-usable outdoor area while addressing the historical significance of the narrow camp street and treating the casino building as an inaccessible perpetrator site.
The competition results were announced with a clear prize structure. The first prize of 30,000 euros went to Lankes Koengeter Architekten with LA.BAR Landscape Architects. The second prize of 20,000 euros was awarded to Gustav Düsing and FAKT Office for Architecture, both from Berlin, in collaboration with Bureau BB Urbanism and Landscape Architecture from Amsterdam. Hascher Jehle Architektur from Berlin, working with Gänßle Hehr Landscape Architects from Esslingen, received the third prize of 10,000 euros.
Two additional recognition awards of 7,500 euros each were given to Staab Architekten with Sinai Landscape Architects, both from Berlin, and AFF Architekten with POLA Landscape Architects, also both from Berlin. The jury unanimously recommended that the client use the first prize-winning design as the foundation for further development of the project.
This competition represents part of a broader effort to modernize and improve memorial facilities across Germany and Europe. Recently, a similar competition was concluded for the redesign of the Gusen concentration camp memorial site in Austria, highlighting the ongoing commitment to preserving historical memory through thoughtful architectural intervention.
