Haus der Musik
From retail to resonance: Haus der Musik transforms a former Karstadt department store in a historic part of Braunschweig (DE) into an 18.000 m2 cultural space that will house a new concert hall, a public music school, and additional program open to the community.
Rather than demolish the existing building, a 70s Karstadt department store, the winning proposal for ‘Haus der Musik’, is based on adaptive reuse principles. The structure and architectural rhythm of the original building is retained and activated.
The transformation is organized around a “Third Place” - that undefined and mostly unprogrammed space between functions that forms a huge potential for new identity growing from the local community. The music school is embedded into the retained structure, creating a lively, all-day rhythm of learning, rehearsing, and informal exchange. Below it, the Klangkeller offers a raw and flexible stage for experimental sounds and underground scenes. The new concert hall, located in the upper levels of the building to preserve as much of the existing structure as possible, is designed as a classic shoebox typology with careful attention to acoustic clarity and spatial intimacy. Sound-reflective wall and ceiling panels diffuse sound evenly throughout the space while adjustable ceiling elements allow for custom tuning depending on the performance setting, including organ music and amplified events.
Situated along one of Braunschweig’s central pedestrian routes, the Haus der Musik forms a vital urban link. By reactivating the ground level and opening up to the city via generous terraces and foyers, the building establishes a new cultural node in the urban fabric. It doesn’t merely occupy its plot – it reaches into the city, creating sightlines, passageways, and places to gather. The design respects the scale and rhythm of its historical surroundings, while introducing a fresh public energy that strengthens the civic life of the old town. The building’s stepped form and articulated façade allow it to merge with Braunschweig’s urban silhouette while subtly signaling its new role as a destination for music and community. >>
The new facade preserves the modular rhythm of the original but reworks it as a sculptural, tactile envelope respectful of the historic context and its characteristic buildings. The cascading elements generate a dynamic interplay of light and shadow, opening views into the building’s activities and inviting the public in.
The jury comments: ‘The difficult balancing act between preservation, transformation and innovation has been convincingly achieved, the contextual integration is comprehensible, sensitive and convincing.’
The result is not only a landmark for music and culture – but a demonstration of how architecture can be both ambitious and responsible, rooted in the past and ready for the future.
