Futurium Berlin | Richter Musikowski

Designed by Richter Musikowski, The Futurium is a building for exhibitions and events in the heart of Berlin – embedded between the Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (ministry for education and research), the Spreebogen (Spree Riverbend) and the Humboldthafen (Humboldt port), the main station and the Charité Hospital.
The Haus der Zukunft (house of the future) creates its own sculptural identity in this ensemble. On the two main sides of the Futurium two public spaces are defined by setting back the building. Folding the building up to create urban high points makes the Futurium a striking appearance between the Spree River and the elevated railway. The Futurium was conceived as a low-energy building and achieved the BNB-Gold sustainability rating.

photography by © Schnepp Renou

The exterior space around the Futurium is organized by two large forecourts, where the main entrances are located. The entrances have cantilevering canopies of up to 18 meters generating sheltered public spaces. A pattern of dots covers the entire public space and lends it its own identity. Following the logic and design of the pattern seating areas, paths and quiet zones are playfully arranged.
The façade is made up of more than 8000 panels. The 70x70cm large elements consist of varyingly folded metal reflectors and textured glass with a ceramic print. Under the constantly shifting lighting conditions, they generate an ever-changing cloud image.

photography by © Schnepp Renou

Two large windows with the dimensions of 8 x 28 m on the south and 11 x 28 m on the north offer spectacular views and bring the presented future-spaces into close contact with the present cityscape.
The foyer on the ground floor connects the main entrances as well as all of the essential routes and functions of the building. It acts as a meeting point and space for communication. This is where visitors can find all the important services, such as the cloakroom, restrooms, central information, café, and shop.
The ground floor event spaces can be configured into spaces ranging from 50 to 670 m2 with mobile walls and intelligent building services. Daylight, light-colored and acoustically active surfaces, numerous projectors and a barrier-free design all together create a suitable surrounding for the dialog on the world of tomorrow.

photography by © Schnepp Renou

The exhibition space on the lower level is staged as a subterranean laboratory with an area of 600 m2 where visitors can experience the excitement of futurology hands on. Dark-colored exposed concrete, black asphalt floors and a ceiling grid made of 126 fluorescent screens lend this 6 m high space below the Spree River’s water-level an extraordinary atmosphere.
The exhibition space on the upper level is reached by means of the central stairway or the visitor elevators. This area is conceived as one continuous space of approximately 3000 m2. The exhibition will be divided into three large zones of thought that speculate on our future relationship to technology, to nature and to ourselves.

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Project Info:
Architects: Richter Musikowski
Location: Berlin, Germany
Lead Architects: Christoph Richter, Jan Musikowski, Sebastian Haufe, Elke Sparmann, Martina Huber, Nele Gessner, Daniel Eckert, Domenico Foti, Yvo Coseriu, Christine Dorn, Elisabetta Vito, Johann Schulz-Greve, Phillip Rohé
Area: 14007.0 m2
Project Year: 2017
Photographs: Dacian Groza, Schnepp Renou
Manufacturers: Mosa, Schüco, Zumtobel, DURLUM, JUNG
Project Name: Futurium Berlin