Competition for New Bauhaus Museum in Weimar Ends without a First Prize

In the open architectural design competition for the New Bauhaus Museum in Weimar, Germany, the international jury awarded two second-place and two third-place prizes. The jury also conferred three honorable mentions. The announcement of the winners officially concludes the architectural design competition, in which 536 architectural offices around the world participated.

The focus and unique feature of the New Bauhaus Museum will be the historic Bauhaus collections of the Klassik Stiftung Weimar. The museum’s activities will highlight all aspects of the State Bauhaus, the events which led to its establishment in Weimar in 1919, its colorful history and lasting influence. Since 1990, the collection has grown enormously with purchases and donations. The Gropius Collection, owned by the Klassik Stiftung Weimar, is the world’s oldest collection of original Bauhaus works.

These are the winning entries:

Shared 2nd Prize (40,000 Euros each): Johann Bierkandt
Landau, Germany

Jury report: "The second-place design proposal by Johann Bierkandt (Landau) develops the figuration of a small-scale, urban museum ensemble, distinctly separate from the large-scale Weimarhalle and the Thuringian State and Administrative Office nearby, as well as the adjacent residential buildings. The proposal doesn’t aim to present a compact museum, but rather includes additive structural elements which play on the differentiated educational concept of the Bauhaus. The jury expresses its admiration for how the proposal integrated the museum with the Weimarhallenpark."

Shared 2nd Prize (40,000 Euros each): Architekten HKR (Klaus Krauss and Rolf Kursawe)
Cologne, Germany

Jury report: "The other second-place proposal by the Architekten HRK (Klaus Krauss and Rolf Kursawe, Cologne) provides excellent access to the park. The distinctive form of the museum makes an even stronger impression in the urban setting and is characterised by the cleverly staggered arrangement of the elongated structures. The proposal is also impressive in terms of its interior design qualities. The central interior space creates a distinctive, independent and attractive flair for the New Bauhaus Museum."

Shared 3rd Prize (30,000 Euros each): Prof. Heike Hanada with Benedikt Tonnon
Berlin, Germany

Jury report: "The third-place design proposal by Prof. Heike Hanada with Benedikt Tonnon (Berlin) positions a compact minimalistic cube on the park slope, a geometrically elementary architectural form, which would offer enormous potential for the interior corridors and room arrangement."

Shared 3rd Prize (30,000 Euros each): Bube/ Daniela Bergmann
Rotterdam, The Netherlands

Jury report: "The museum design proposed by the second third-place winner Bube/ Daniela Bergmann (Rotterdam) features a composition of three translucent structures which lie somewhat removed in a newly won park environment. This concept also consciously sets itself apart from the dominating habitus of the large former Gauforum and the neighboring Weimarhalle."

Honorable Mentions (9,666 Euros each): Karl Hufnagel Architekten, hks Hestermann Rommel Architektenn, menomenopiu architectures/Alessandro Balducci

Jury report: "The three honorable mentions distinguish proposals which offer outstanding individual aspects and valuable contributions for the construction of the museum in this difficult urban-planning environment. Viewed in their entirety, however, their implementation is not possible."

With the conclusion of the competition process, the Klassik Stiftung Weimar can now begin negotiating with the four prize winners according to VOF procedure (Contracting Regulations for the Awarding of Professional Services) as put forth in the call for proposals. The jury, chaired by Prof. Jörg Friedrich (Hamburg), provided the winners with recommendations for optimizing their proposals in preparation for the VOF procedure. The Klassik Stiftung Weimar intends to quickly begin negotiations in order to proceed with the concrete construction planning without delay. The New Bauhaus Museum will officially open in 2015.

All entries of the competition's 2nd phase are currently on view at the New Museum Weimar until Monday, April 9, 2012. The exhibition is free of charge.

All images courtesy of Klassik Stiftung Weimar.