The International Congress Center Berlin (ICC Berlin) is one of the city’s great architectural icons. The heritage-protected building has been out of operation since 2014. In 2023, the Berlin House of Representatives approved its revitalization and commissioned the Senatswirtschaftsverwaltung (Senate Department of Economics), specifically the Berliner Immobilienmanagement GmbH (BIM), to conduct a concept development process.

GRAFT participated in the competition as part of a project partnership comprising leading companies and proven experts in the fields of project development, urban planning, architecture, historic preservation, arts and culture management, engineering, and construction, and developed a concrete development concept as well as architectural and urban design proposals during a two-year dialogue phase.

The final concept, submitted in March 2026, was positively evaluated by the jury – the decision-making body responsible for the State of Berlin’s concept competition decided to follow the jury’s recommendation. With the Berlin Senate’s official award recommendation on June 23, 2026, and the subsequent negotiations for an exclusivity agreement, the revitalization is now a decisive step closer to becoming a reality.

The goal of the project partnership is a careful yet forward-looking revitalization of the ICC. The building’s unique history, architectural power, and spatial qualities are to be respected, preserved, and revitalized through new uses. Guided by the principle of “function follows form,” the ICC will be reimagined based on its existing strengths.

The plan calls for a diverse mix of uses encompassing art, culture, concerts, exhibitions, dining, events, the creative industries, and new work environments. Large halls, foyers, and extraordinary spatial volumes will once again serve as a stage for international events, Berlin’s cultural actors, and public programs. In close partnership with the State of Berlin, solutions will also be developed for temporary alternative venues, cultural anchor uses, and long-term, sustainable usage models.

The ICC will thus not only be a place to experience on event days but is intended to gradually evolve into a neighborhood that is bustling throughout the day. Additional new buildings at Messedamm 9 and 11, new entrances, improved pathways, attractive forecourts, and dining options will create a new destination and connect the building more closely with its surroundings. The result will be a place that generates new cultural and economic momentum and has the potential to once again become an internationally visible hub of the city’s future.

The coming years will be devoted to further clarifying building regulations, financing, historic preservation, and the building’s use and operation. The goal is to lay the groundwork for the ICC’s long-term sustainable development and to gradually reintegrate the building into Berlin’s public life.

https://www.bureau-n.de/icc-berlin/

Plans for a 40,000-square-meter district on the edge of Dresden's old town are moving forward: media group Bertelsmann is planning a new urban quarter on the site surrounding the historic Haus der Presse building.

In close coordination with the city of Dresden, the Office for Urban Planning and Mobility, and the State Office for the Preservation of Historical Monuments, the real estate company Robert C. Spies and GRAFT have developed a sophisticated urban development concept based on multi-stage planning preparations. The City of Dresden's Design Commission closely monitored the process. With the resolution to adopt the development plan, which was passed on January 14, 2026, the project has reached a key milestone.

A total of four building complexes with a combined gross floor area of around 78,000 square metres are set to be constructed on the Ostra-Allee site. The ensemble is intended for various uses, including apartments, office space, hotels, culture, and leisure.

The Haus der Presse, an ensemble of East Modernist buildings that has shaped the area since the 1960s, and the significant green space towards the theatre workshops on Ostra-Allee will remain as essential elements of the district. A newly designed neighbourhood square and a tree-lined pedestrian route will structure the area and open up new views, connecting several landmarks of the inner city.

Active ground floor zones, public spaces with a high quality of life, and underground access for stationary traffic create a lively neighborhood that blends naturally into the existing urban structure.

GRAFT partner Georg Schmidthals as a jury member at the Brillux Design Award ceremony.

Get to know the award winners: brillux.de