With the new Kõrgaed development in Tallinn, we were awarded 2nd prize in an international competition. The project presents a holistic vision for transforming the former Krull factory site into a contemporary urban quarter, combining spatial openness, human-scale urbanism, and the adaptive reuse of industrial heritage. The mixed-use ensemble of residential and commercial buildings along with an apartment hotel demonstrates how architecture can create new forms of community, sustainability, and urban vibrancy by reimagining the courtyard and ground floor.

At the heart of the design is a courtyard lifted to the second floor. It becomes a green, tranquil communal garden for residents – directly accessible from their homes – while the ground floor remains fully dedicated to public and commercial uses. This move transforms a challenging programmatic conflict into a defining architectural quality.

On the ground floor, 38 flexible commercial units with terraces, arcades, and storefronts enliven the urban realm. Above, 39 timber-clad apartments form a modular structure that ensures daylight, privacy, and adaptable layouts. Recycled building materials from the local context, a hybrid concrete-and-timber construction system, and biodiverse landscaping reinforce the project’s sustainable approach.

In this way, the design bridges past and future, showing how urban density, ecological responsibility, and cultural identity can be brought into balance.

Completed in 2022, the Multiscale Imaging Centre (MIC) at the University of Münster brings together cutting-edge biomedical imaging technologies. 200 researchers from medicine, physics, biology, mathematics, computer science, and chemistry explore how cells behave within organisms. The building references Münster’s traditional brick architecture, yet its recessed and projecting volumes and the façade, broken up by horizontal window bands, give it a distinctly monolithic, sculptural presence.

Inside, the spacious foyer sets the tone. Beneath a glass roof, staircases cross the open space diagonally, while the adjoining courtyard with its suspended garden draws light and openness into the heart of the building. This central space offers a remarkable quality of stay and demonstrates how architecture can create room for knowledge – making science tangible for both visitors and researchers.

The importance of such spaces is underlined by the year-round exhibition unSICHTBAR (“inVISIBLE”), curated by MIC researchers. It presents striking images of cells, tissues, and organisms, produced with advanced microscopy, magnetic resonance imaging, and positron emission tomography. A further highlight is the twelve-metre-high wall installation Auf | Lösung by Cordula Hesselbarth, artist and professor of scientific illustration.

Thus, the architecture of the foyer does far more than define an entrance. It creates an open forum for exchange – bringing science out from behind laboratory doors and presenting it in a way that is accessible, visible, and inspiring.

Link to the exhibition at the University of Münster

Photo (left): © Jürgen Landes
Photo (right): © Uni Münster – Erk Wibberg

The SUSTech School of Medicine and Affiliated Hospital in Shenzhen, designed by Gerber Architekten, received an Honorable Mention in the “Hospital/Medical Centers” category at the 2025 International Architecture Award (learn more). In this highly competitive category, our project stood out among more than 500 international submissions – a recognition that underscores the innovative character of the design.

Our concept unites a medical faculty, an 800-bed teaching hospital, a library, as well as residential, sports, and recreational facilities into a holistic health campus. The buildings are oriented towards the surrounding landscape between mountain ridges and a river, creating an open and inviting connection between architecture and nature. Green podium levels and vertical planting integrate the complex harmoniously into its setting, fostering a healing and inspiring atmosphere for patients, students, and staff alike.

The award is presented by the Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design in collaboration with the European Centre for Architecture, Art, Design and Urban Studies. It is one of the most prestigious international distinctions in architecture, honoring outstanding projects that set global benchmarks in design, functionality, and urban integration.

On July 30, 2025, Marius Ryrko, International Managing Director at Gerber Architekten, gave a lecture at Tongji University in Shanghai titled “Blueprint for Wellness: Crafting Nature-Inspired Spaces.” He demonstrated how architecture and landscape design can create livable environments – using examples such as the SUS Tech School of Medicine & SUS Tech Affiliated Hospital in Shenzhen, as well as other projects in China, the Middle East, and Europe.

Through a range of current projects – from healthcare buildings and office complexes to large-scale masterplans – Marius Ryrko illustrated how varying site conditions require tailored design strategies. His talk emphasized that architecture is about more than form: it’s about quality of life, climate resilience, and cultural identity.

Ryrko’s presentation underlined the importance of an integrated design approach that balances ecological, social, and functional aspects. Thoughtfully designed spaces, he argued, play a vital role in shaping sustainable, healthy, and human-centered urban environments.

We sincerely thank Tongji University for the invitation and the inspiring professional exchange.

The “Southern Speicherstraße” project received the German Urban Development Distinction 2025 on July 25, 2025. The jury praised the forward-thinking transformation of Dortmund’s Harbor District as a model for sustainable and community-oriented urban development.

Gerber Architekten contributed to the redevelopment of the district with two projects:
The Hafenforum creates an open space for start-ups, co-working, and gastronomy – anchoring exchange and new work models in the area. Kontorhaus 11 brings together modern office spaces with a market hall, activating the public realm.

With this, Speicherstraße becomes a driving force for a diverse, productive, and socially inclusive urban quarter – right by the water, in the heart of the city.

We are pleased about the recognition and congratulate the City of Dortmund and all project partners on this distinction.

The new Materna headquarters at Phönixpark in Dortmund has been nominated in the category “Comprehensive Commercial Project” for the CREDAward. The China Real Estate Design Award is among the most prestigious international awards for architecture and urban development in China, recognizing outstanding designs for their innovation, functionality, and sustainability.

Opened this year on the former industrial site of Phönix-West in Dortmund, the new Materna headquarters seamlessly blends architecture and landscape. Open spatial structures, a landscaped courtyard, and communicative areas such as the foyer, café-bar, and landscaped staircase encourage interaction and strengthen employees’ identification with the company.

We are delighted about this nomination, which honors a design that successfully combines functional work environments with a high quality of stay.

With a sensitive approach to the historical topography and the remnants of the Nazi era, Gerber Architekten’s design for the Gusen Concentration Camp Memorial convinced the jury. The aim is to create a space of remembrance that does not conceal history but makes it tangible – offering clear orientation, barrier-free paths, and places for personal reflection.

A restrained architectural language, simple materials such as wood and concrete, and carefully employed narrative elements connect the sites of Langenstein I and II as well as St. Georgen into a multi-layered memorial. Visitors follow a main route that first confronts them with the perspective of the perpetrators and then makes the lives of the prisoners perceptible – supported by VR points, a “Room of Silence,” and symbolic axes, such as a row of trees representing the link between Gusen and St. Georgen. This row of trees dissolves into a mirror, becoming a metaphor for what remains invisible.

Running along the former haulage track – once used for forced labor transports – a quiet yet powerful axis of remembrance emerges, weaving together past, landscape, and present.

The concept is an invitation to remember and reflect, demonstrating how architecture can take on responsibility.

This past weekend, the nationwide Tag der Architektur (Day of Architecture) took place across Germany. We participated with two projects: the new Materna headquarters in Dortmund and the residential development at Sportplatzring in the Hamburg district of Stellingen.

In Dortmund, the close interplay between architecture and landscape became particularly apparent. A green terraced stairway and an open courtyard create seamless transitions and offer a high-quality working environment. In Hamburg, the focus was on modern, low-barrier apartments – with well-thought-out floor plans, a clear architectural language, and generous outdoor spaces.

The project tours were conducted together with our project architects – in Dortmund alongside representatives from Materna, and in Hamburg in collaboration with SAGA. On-site, there were many engaging conversations and a lively exchange about the respective building tasks.

In total, around 185 interested visitors joined our tours – a wonderful opportunity to share insights into our work and engage in dialogue. Our special thanks go to the clients, whose support made it possible to open the projects and contribute to this day.