Architectural firms develop designs for Carl Bechstein Campus in Berlin

The Berlin-based Carl Bechstein Foundation would like to have a House of Piano built in the German capital that combines a variety of uses under one roof. An architectural competition has now been launched for this purpose.

In the Europacity, close to Berlin's main train station, a campus is to be built that will offer a variety of uses centered around the piano. Bechstein is thus following up on its historical commitment in Berlin. Today, C. Bechstein Pianoforte AG is one of the largest and most important grand piano and upright piano manufacturers in Europe.

As part of a realization competition, seven architectural firms have now been asked to develop designs for the Carl Bechstein Campus. The chosen procedure is intended to ensure high urban planning and architectural quality.

From concert hall to scholarship apartment

The Carl Bechstein Campus to be created will offer a variety of facilities. The centerpiece will be the two concert halls. In addition, there will also be practice and workshop rooms, offices, sales rooms for pianos and grand pianos, and thematically appropriate smaller retail spaces. In addition, a permanent exhibition of historic keyboard instruments is planned. These will also be able to be played in concerts and master classes, which should attract pianists from all over the world. Furthermore, space for gastronomy is also planned. One of the more unusual tasks for the architectural offices will certainly be the scholarship apartments in the rear section, which - according to initial ideas - will also contain grand pianos.

Seven architectural firms develop ideas for the Carl Bechstein Campus

In the process, the architectural firms will develop a preliminary urban and structural design that is in line with the existing building code and also makes use of an existing building on the Heidestraße 46 - 52 site. The competition takes place in coordination and integration with the Senate Department for Urban Development, Construction and Housing as well as the District Office Mitte of Berlin. The following offices were invited to participate in the competition:

• Architekturbüro LS, Berlin
• Bruno Fioretti Marquez, Berlin
• Dorte Mandrup A/S, Kopenhagen
• GRAFT, Berlin Gesellschaft v. Architekten
• jessenvollenweider architektur, Basel
• Kleihues + Kleihues, Berlin Gesellschaft v. Architekten
• Staab Architekten, Berlin

The results should be available by the end of this year. An exhibition of the work is then planned for early next year.

The Carl Bechstein Foundation, which was co-founded by the stock corporation, already promotes piano playing throughout Germany, especially among children and young people. For the planned campus, it is planned to ensure the realization and later operation of the project through the Carl Bechstein Foundation. A request for state subsidies is not envisaged.

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(Source: Carl Bechstein Stiftung, 09|19|2023 | "Architectural firms develop designs for Carl Bechstein Campus in Berlin")