Monument preservation as an opportunity – sustainable renovation, conscious design
New exhibition now open
Can the existing building be turned into something new - and become visibly more aesthetic, sustainable and future-proof in the process? The new exhibition „Denkmalpflege als Chance – Nachhaltig sanieren, bewusst gestalten“ (‘Monument preservation as an opportunity – sustainable renovation, conscious design’) provides a convincing answer to this question.
The baudenkmal bundesschule bernau association opened the new exhibition on 20 June 2025. It presents award-winning projects by the Berlin architectural firm BRENNE ARCHITEKTEN, which has been a pioneer of building in existing structures for decades.
Location: Hannes-Meyer-Campus 9, 16321 Bernau-Waldfrieden
New executive board of the baudenkmal bundesschule bernau e.V.
Board members of the baudenkmal bundesschule bernau association
(from left to right: Simone Völkel, Thomas Jacobi, Anja Guttenberger, Mechthild Hübler, Udo Kretschel, Franz Jaschke, Friedemann Seeger, Bernhard Wittwer)
The association baudenkmal bundesschule bernau e.V., which has been committed to the preservation and scientific research of the Bundesschule Bernau designed by Hannes Meyer and Hans Wittwer since 1990, has elected a new board.
Friedemann Seeger continues as chairman, supported by Mechthild Hübler as deputy chairman and Dr Anja Guttenberger as treasurer. The Board team is completed by Franz Jaschke, Udo Kretschel, Simone Völkel and Thomas Jacobi.
Bernhard Wittwer, industrial designer and former deputy director of the College of Advertising and Design, is a new member of the board. Wittwer, born in Berlin in 1942, has decades of experience in the fields of moulding and design. Following his studies at the University of Fine and Applied Arts in Berlin-Weißensee, he worked as a group leader in the field of medical devices and has received several awards for his work. His expertise will enrich the work of the association, especially in the field of tension between Bauhaus tradition, monument preservation and modern design.
The association is looking forward to working together on the new board and to many more successful projects to preserve and communicate the UNESCO World Heritage Site Bundesschule Bernau.
Support us!
We are happy about any support! Whether donation or membership, any help is welcome in our association. If you wish, we can issue a donation receipt for your company or private cause. Please contact us by e-mail at verein@bauhaus-denkmal-bernau.de or donate directly to our account: baudenkmal bundesschule bernau e.V. / IBAN: DE44 1705 2000 3000 0340 04 / BIC: WELADED1GZE.
Help us to realize projects and continue to explore the Bauhaus World Heritage in Bernau!
Bauhaus Architectures and Daylight Studies
Expert article by Ute Poerschke
Figure 3a: Detail of the third competition board. Solar geometry for the day of the summer solstice. Source: Stiftung Bauhaus Dessau
Walking through the UNESCO World Heritage building of the General German Trade Union Federation (ADGB) in Bernau, one can observe how beautiful the interior rooms connect with the surrounding nature and how beautiful the daylight illuminates the rooms in many different facets. Most spectacular can this be experienced in the dining hall with its restored glass building blocks integrated in the ceiling and the diagonal corner view into the woods. These daylight qualities are no accident, as the Bauhaus intensively studied daylight in architecture. The ADGB-School not only served as an experimentation field but turns out to be a masterpiece with extraordinary daylight situations. In no other project did the Bauhaus grapple so comprehensively with daylight ideas.
