A visitor center is being built on the grounds of the Bernau Federal School, developing a distinctive architectural language through the interplay between the pine forest and the historic building. Landscape, spaces, and functions come together under a single roof. Four enclosed volumes structure an open floor plan beneath it. While calm and understated on the outside, a lively ceiling topography unfolds within: dancing skylights accentuate the floor plan with shifting light moods and varying ceiling heights. This creates a column-free, flowing open space whose wraparound glass façade offers panoramic views of the Bauhaus ensemble and the surrounding forest landscape.
The building opens up to the three outdoor spaces—the pine forest, the parking lot, and the campus—with an open and transparent design. The foyer, exhibition space, event area, and community gathering space can be flexibly connected or separated. Structurally, the design combines a simple, solid base with a modular, prefabricated roof structure made of laminated veneer lumber. The cantilevered wooden structure allows for a completely column-free interior. Light pyramids in the roof, natural ventilation via openable skylights, and shading from the pine forest render complex building services unnecessary—a building that achieves Passive House standards using simple means.
