Vom abgeriegelten Militärbau zum offenen Zukunftsort – Die Defensionskaserne auf dem Erfurter Petersberg
Credits
Company / Customer
Designer
Year
2026
Location
Erfurt (DE)
Disciplines
Architecture
Category
Transformation
Award
Best of Best
Details
From a sealed-off military building to an open space for the future: through deliberate interventions, the closed, robust structure is being transformed into a permeable spatial framework offering new diversity. The new identity of the Defensionskaserne emerges from the coexistence of history and the present—and it is now becoming a vibrant hub of innovation for businesses and start-ups, for creative professionals and cultural practitioners, and for knowledge and society.
The Jury‘s Statement
Not yet complete, but already on a promising path: the hermetically sealed military complex of the former Erfurt Defensionskaserne left behind a rigid, closed structure. Through gentle interventions rather than drastic renovation, the building was successfully transformed into an open campus without any erasure of its historical features. To achieve this, the historic barrel vault, with fortress walls up to 3.5 m thick, and the original surfaces were uncovered. To comply with both heritage conservation requirements and accommodate future changes in use, the decision was made to use reversible, modular room dividers and elements. A 167-m-long bastion was transformed into a publicly accessible hub for creativity and the future, featuring spaces for start-ups, catering, and culture.
