FAQs
The tasks of the Federal Bauakademie Foundation are to rebuild the Bauakademie building on its former location and to initiate, moderate and support the necessary transformation processes in planning and building towards sustainable building practices. The Federal Bauakademie Foundation was founded on 24 January 2019.
The ‘Berlin Bauakademie’, built by architect Karl Friedrich Schinkel between 1832 and 1836, was severely damaged during the Second World War. Reconstruction began in the early 1950s but was stopped in 1955 and removed in 1962. Between 1964 and 1967, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the GDR was built on Friedrichswerder, covering parts of the Bauakademie site. At the initiative of the federal government, the building was demolished in the mid-1990s. The reconstruction of the Bauakademie building was approved by the Finance Committee of the German Bundestag in 2016.
In a working group of the Federal Office for Building and Regional Planning (BBR) as the awarding authority, the Federal Ministry of Housing, Urban Development and Building (BMWSB) as the funding body and the State of Berlin as the authorising authority, the specifications for the architectural competition will be drawn up. At the same time, the spatial programme is coordinated with the foundation's political stakeholders. Both will form the basis for an open two-phase project competition for the Bauakademie building.
How will the Federal Foundation Bauakademie contribute to the promotion of sustainable construction methods?
The work of the Federal Bauakademie Foundation is aimed at initiating, moderating and supporting the necessary transformation processes in planning and building. The focus here is on real-world labs in which concrete implementation results are tested in a broad network of stakeholders and project partners that mediate transformation processes between research, the construction industry, construction policy and the planning professions. The real-world labs are accompanied by various working formats, such as think tanks and working groups, as well as public events.
The Federal Bauakademie Foundation takes an integrated approach and develops its initiatives based on its three focus areas: climate change/circular economy,urban development/real estate management and digitalization/automation. It designs real-world labs, working groups and outreach formats to advance the building transition along the entire planning and construction value chains. On behalf of the Federal Ministry of Housing, Urban Development and Building, the Federal Bauakademie Foundation organises and moderates the ‘Round Table for Serial, Modular and Systemic Building’ and implements the ‘Pilot Projects - Innovations in the Building Sector’ funding programme.
The long-term focus lies on demonstrating, communicating and testing new solutions in for sustainable construction practices throughout the entire value chain. In addition to the construction of the Bauakademie building, the Federal Bauakademie Foundation will also dedicate itself to the history of the site and the surrounding neighbourhood. A children's and youth academy will enable future generations to participate in and help shape the themes of the building transition.
The Federal Bauakademie Foundation organises various public events in which participation is possible in person or online (see Events section). In the event series ‘Schaustelle - Bring Your Idea’, interested members of the public are invited to get to know the team of the Federal Bauakademie Foundation and the institution's key topics in person. Suggestions for topics can also be submitted here.
The central e-mail address of the Federal Bauakademie Foundation is kontakt(at)bundesstiftung-bauakademie.de. Further contact information can be found here. The contact information (e-mail, telephone number) of all employees can be found on our team page. We look forward to hearing from you!
On the website of the Federal Foundation Bauakademie you will find the sections News and Events. You can also register for the newsletter here. It is published every three months and provides information on upcoming events. The Federal Bauakademie Foundation is also represented on LinkedIn and Instagram and has its own YouTube channel.
On the grounds of the Federal Bauakademie Foundation currently sits a model-façade piece of the former Bauakademie, which was constructed between 2001-2002 as well as the “Red Hall”, as a model-room of the Bauakademie. The “Red Hall” is being used by the Federal Bauakademie Foundation as its event space. Interim uses are also planned for the site from 2025 onwards, in which smaller projects and prototypes for the building transition can be tested.