Neues Schleiermacherhaus

The client, Evangelische Kirchengemeinde St. Marien-Friedrichswerder, has owned the site for over 300 years and represents a parish in the heart of the city with a community of 5000 members. The Schleiermacherhaus complex continues to be central to spiritual and social life of the parish, providing a home for the Pastor and a space where the congregation holds events, concerts and study groups.

Following the Second World War, one of a cluster of three buildings was destroyed, leaving a long-term ‘rupture’ in the 1730s baroque ensemble, with the vacant space being incorporated into the central parish community garden. dRMM´s innovative proposal complies with stringent heritage regulations of the Monument protection authority, whilst creating a space that suits of a contemporary working environment.

Maintaining the original external dimensions, the ground floor of dRMM’s characterful insertion has been flexibly designed to accommodate a cultural institution, with a spacious layout suitable for exhibitions or hosting events. The ground floor with it´s large windows activates the primary frontage, whilst tall glass doors open up the space to the relandscaped courtyard. The upper floors primarily serve as office spaces but can easily be adapted and divided as needed. The ambition is for the reinstated building to continue serving the city and it´s community for the centuries to come.

Pursuing dRMM’s keen interest in working across Europe, we opened a Berlin studio in 2021, which allows us seamless access to the European market in a post-Brexit era. Won through a competition organised by the Evangelische Kirchengemeinde, the Neue Schleiermacherhaus is dRMM’s first project in Germany.

Sustainability goals for the operation and construction of the Neue Schleiermacherhaus were defined at an early stage. The use of geothermal energy for heating and cooling reduces CO2 emissions during operation. The use of timber as the primary structure of the building reduces embodied carbon compared to conventional building materials.

The design respects the past through a contemporary expression of the ideas behind the historic buildings, combining the original fabric of brick, lime render, clay and timber with modern circular materials, creating flexible interiors crafted from the studio’s signature engineered timber. Specifically, beech laminated veneer lumber (LVL), used for the primary beams, and spruce and fir cross laminated timber (CLT) for the structural walls, floor slabs, roof and staircase.

Given the urgency of the climate crisis we face, locking carbon into buildings now and in the short term will pay dividends long term. After all, humankind is yet to develop any carbon storage that works better than the tree. Alongside this benefit, when using mass timber as a self-finishing material, layers of materials typically needed are erased – like dry-lining and paints – which over the whole life of a building can create huge, embodied carbon and maintenance cost savings.

Geothermal heating via bore holes 100 metres deep provides the building with the majority of its energy. The existing buildings are being converted from gas to join the district heating network, which will also supply the new building when required at peak times.

Construction continues in Friedrichstadt with completion anticipated in summer 2024.