Building On Instead of Rebuilding: DAM Prize 2026 Goes to ZK/U Berlin

Housing, social, and educational buildings dominate

For the tenth time, the German Architecture Museum (DAM) awarded the prize in cooperation with JUNG. As it does not require a specific building typology, minimum size, or construction budget—and is based on extensive research with a regional advisory board—the annual shortlist does not represent a curated ideal, but rather what has actually been built and deemed noteworthy. Each year thus becomes a document of its time.The 2026 edition speaks clearly: no representational buildings, no new museum landmarks, no corporate architecture. Instead, subsidized housing, a homeless shelter, cooperative housing, a school, and a cultural center in a converted industrial hall. There is also a noticeable concentration of timber and timber-hybrid constructions, as well as projects that work with existing structures or integrate them. Architecture that engages with resources, adaptability, and social impact.

From a longlist of around 100 buildings—completed between late 2023 and spring 2025—an expert jury chaired by Leipzig-based architect Aline Hielscher selected five projects for the shortlist, which were subsequently visited on site.

The Winner: Building Extension of the ZK/U in Berlin-Moabit

The DAM Prize 2026 is awarded to Peter Grundmann Architekten for the ZK/U—Center for Art and Urbanistics in Berlin-Moabit, a building extension project in the western part of Berlin. The project builds on the use of a former freight depot hall by the association KUNSTrePUBLIK e.V., which has been in place since 2012.

The design concept largely preserves the single-story hall and adds a second, ephemeral spatial layer of glass and steel. This outer envelope provides thermal insulation and meets energy requirements without an additional insulation layer. On the entrance side, a foyer and windbreak are created, while a six-meter-deep buffer space with a bar is located toward the garden. The new upper floor rests on a prestressed slab; recessed façades provide summer sun protection and form a continuous gallery that connects all functional units. A vaulted cellar with exhibition space extends the program downward, and a rooftop terrace completes it above.

Notably, the total construction cost is around 2,000 euros per square meter. Peter Grundmann, a trained shipbuilder, fabricated parts of the complex façade connections himself to retain control over both quality and costs. Existing non-load-bearing walls were retained, while new loads are consciously supported by clearly visible added columns.