Ministerium für auswärtige Angelegenheiten der Bundesrepublik Deutschland

The new building of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is an extension of the former Reichsbank from the 1930s, which was reconstructed in the 1990s by Prof. Hans Kollhoff with Helga Timmermann. The principle of the compact form based on a 1.35-meter module lies in the composition of different building volumes with open courtyards that respond to their immediate surroundings.

The buildings create outward-oriented urban spaces with their courtyards. These then became part of the structure of urban gardens and squares that influenced the appearance of the historical center of Berlin. The building does not want to be a closed block but part of the city. Its open courtyards are oriented towards the city and bring the city into the building. They are designed as communal spaces that give each workplace its own spatial identity and a unique relationship to the city. In these spaces, the open character of the building is revealed: they are meeting places, places for the public. The courtyard with skylights at Werdesher Markt (translated: marketplace on the river island) originates from the main entrance facing the city, covering the urban space, a place for visitors, the public, and the exchange of information. The urban lodge on the Spree Island is a space for users and guests, a garden from which one can enjoy views into the distances and the history of the city. The entrance courtyard opposite the old building serves as a second arrival point. It expands the interspace into the square that connects both buildings and welcomes guests and collaborators.
The library is an introverted place of tranquility, an open reading landscape that unfolds around the centrally top-lit "reading courtyard." The large, uncovered, inward-facing space stands in contrast to the small working and reading areas located on the facade, offering direct contact with the city. Both spaces, which serve as the main entrances to the ministry—the courtyard with skylights at Werdesher Markt and the reception courtyard between the old building and the new construction—are connected by a central entrance hall. The entrance hall and the main access core connect all communal spaces, directions, and entrances. The city, the ministry, differently themed courtyards, paths to individual parts of the house, and artistically designed passageways to the old part converge at a single point. The building is characterized by a few selected materials and its restrained light colors.