On October 13, 2026, Prof. Eckhard Gerber celebrated his 88th birthday. For six decades, he has shaped architectural culture in Germany and internationally as an architect and landscape architect. What began in 1966 as “Werkgemeinschaft 66” in Meschede has grown into the internationally active firm Gerber Architekten, headquartered in Dortmund, with additional offices in Germany, Saudi Arabia and China. To mark his 88th birthday, teams from all offices came together to celebrate.
Born in 1938 in Oberhain, Thuringia, Eckhard Gerber studied architecture at the Technical University of Braunschweig. His firm has been based in Dortmund since 1979, where he continues to serve as managing partner.
Among the most significant projects of his career are the Lower Saxony State and University Library in Göttingen, the Karlsruhe Trade Fair Centre and the King Fahad National Library in Riyadh. The firm also designed the STC Station, a major interchange station within Riyadh’s metro network, as well as the master plan and landscape design for King Salman Park. In Dortmund, projects such as the Harenberg City-Center, the RWE Tower and the transformation of the Dortmunder U have shaped the cityscape. The vocational colleges at the Dortmunder U received the North Rhine-Westphalia School Building Award in 2018.
For more than three decades, Eckhard Gerber taught at the universities of Essen and Wuppertal, serving as Dean of the Faculty of Architecture in Wuppertal from 1995 to 1999. He also advocated for the conversion of the former Museum am Ostwall into the Baukunstarchiv NRW (North Rhine-Westphalia Architecture Archive). In 2021, he was awarded the Order of Merit of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia.
His 88th birthday falls in a particularly significant year in the firm’s history: in 2026, Gerber Architekten celebrates its 60th anniversary. The forthcoming third volume of the Baukunst book series will offer further insights into Eckhard Gerber’s architectural work and design philosophy. Even after six decades, he continues to shape the development and architectural direction of the firm.
Photo: © Jürgen Landes
A residential development comprising 145 publicly subsidised homes and a newly designed neighbourhood square on Bremer Straße in Hamburg-Harburg brings contemporary living into dialogue with the site’s history. The official opening of the square on 9 October 2026 marks the culmination of several years of planning and construction for Eisenbahnbauverein Harburg eG.
Gerber Architekten’s design introduces three new buildings to the 1920s housing estate, parts of which are heritage-listed. A consistent architectural language and material palette unite the new buildings into a distinctive ensemble that integrates with its surroundings and strengthens the gateway to Harburg’s town centre. A cohesive roofscape with varying pitches creates a transition between the different heights of the existing buildings. It also articulates the new building volumes, evoking a sequence of individual townhouses.
The outdoor spaces play an equally important role in the neighbourhood’s development. The new square forms a focal point, connecting the residential areas along Bremer Straße and Gottschalkring. Green spaces, pathways and opportunities for play, exercise and relaxation complement the housing and cater to a range of age groups. The landscape improvements were supported by Hamburg’s Integrated Neighbourhood Development programme (RISE).
Rendering: © Gerber Architekten
Isabelle McKinnon, Managing Director of Gerber Architekten International in Saudi Arabia, joined industry leaders in Riyadh to discuss the future development of desert cities. From our office in Riyadh, we contribute international design experience and local expertise to the development of sustainable urban environments.
The discussion explored how urban growth can respond to the specific conditions of arid regions. Climate-responsive planning, resource-efficient infrastructure and an understanding of local identity were central themes.
At Gerber Architekten, we approach these challenges through the close integration of architecture, landscape and urban design – an approach that also informs our work on King Salman Park in Riyadh. Considering buildings, open spaces and infrastructure together allows environmental strategies to become part of the spatial concept – from the provision of shade to the careful management of water and energy.
The quality of a city is also measured in everyday life: accessible public spaces, opportunities for social interaction and comfortable places to spend time. Creating these qualities while respecting the character of the desert landscape is an important focus of our work in the region.
Photos: © GM Architecture Network
At the international SHARE Georgia 2026 Architecture Forum in Tbilisi, Denis Lacej, Design Principal at Gerber Architekten, presented the design for King Salman Park, currently under development in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He also took part in a panel discussion exploring the role of artificial intelligence in architecture.
The forum brought together leading international architecture practices, including Foster + Partners, Herzog & de Meuron, Henning Larsen and LAVA, alongside architects and designers from the region. It provided a platform for professional exchange on current developments and future challenges in architecture.
Located on the site of the former airport in Riyadh, King Salman Park is set to become one of the largest urban parks in the world, covering an area approximately five times the size of New York’s Central Park. Climate-adapted vegetation, sustainable water management and the promotion of biodiversity are key elements of the concept, contributing to a more resilient urban environment and improved local climate conditions.
In his presentation, Denis shared insights into the project’s design approach and ecological foundations. The Q&A session that followed provided an opportunity to explore specific aspects of the concept in greater depth.
During the panel discussion, he also exchanged views on the opportunities and challenges presented by artificial intelligence, as well as its potential impact on future planning and design processes.
Photo: © Share Architecture
With the laying of the foundation stone on September 25, 2026, the new Sparkasse Holstein location in Trittau is taking shape. Based on our design, a mixed-use building with a Sparkasse branch, apartments, and commercial spaces is being developed on Poststraße.
With its gable facing the street, reddish-brown brick façade, and anthracite-colored pitched roof, the design integrates seamlessly into the urban context surrounding the Bürgerhaus and Europaplatz. Several courtyards bring natural daylight into the building and help structure the interior spaces.
Sustainability is also an integral part of the concept: the project includes a photovoltaic system, construction based on the KfW 40 standard, and a targeted DGNB Gold certification.
Completion is scheduled for spring 2028.
Photo: © Christian Schaffrath: from left to right: Oliver Mesch (former Mayor of Trittau), Karsten Holst (Gerber Architekten), Oliver Schuldt (Managing Director, Friedrich Schütt + Sohn Baugesellschaft mbH & Co. KG), Patrick Marsian (Mayor of Trittau), Joachim Koop (Branch Manager, Sparkasse Holstein in Trittau), Michael Ringelhann (Member of the Executive Board, Sparkasse Holstein)
With the laying of the foundation stone on 17 September, construction of a new residential quarter designed by Gerber Architekten has now visibly begun on Friedrich-Ebert-Damm in Hamburg-Wandsbek. In two construction phases, 236 publicly subsidised apartments are being built for SAGA Unternehmensgruppe, including 43 barrier-free units.
The design responds sensitively to the urban context, mediating between the metropolitan character of Friedrich-Ebert-Damm and the neighbouring garden city development. With its differentiated building heights, brick façades, generous loggias and green flat roofs with photovoltaic systems, the project combines architectural clarity with sustainability and a strong focus on users’ needs.
At the same time, the development creates urgently needed affordable housing and strengthens the mix of housing types within the neighbourhood – particularly for families. The new planning increases the residential floor area from around 11,000 m² to more than 17,000 m².
We are pleased to contribute to a future-oriented and high-quality residential development in Hamburg with this project.
As part of a visit to her constituency, Sabine Poschmann, Member of the German Bundestag and Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for Housing, Urban Development and Building, visited Gerber Architekten.
The discussion focused on current challenges facing the planning and construction sector, with particular emphasis on strengthening architectural competition procedures and the role of building culture in promoting high-quality and sustainable planning and construction.
Drawing on selected national and international projects in the fields of school buildings, residential architecture and research facilities, Gerber Architekten provided insights into current challenges and diverse planning contexts. International projects such as King Salman Park were also part of the discussion.
The exchange provided an opportunity to share perspectives from architectural practice and discuss the framework conditions shaping the future of planning and construction. Key topics included quality, sustainability and the responsibility of architecture.
Photo: from left to right: Benjamin Sieber, Sabine Poschmann, Eckhard Gerber
At the 12th CREDAWARD, held in Shanghai on 11 September, two projects by Gerber Architekten received awards. The international architecture and design award is one of the established accolades in the industry in China. King Salman Park, developed under the leadership of Gerber Architekten in collaboration with engineering firms Buro Happold and Setec on behalf of the King Salman Park Foundation, prevailed against 935 projects from 271 organisations across more than 30 countries and regions, receiving Gold in the “Future (Concept) Project” category. SUSTech School of Medicine received an Excellence Award in the “Social Public Project” category. With these two awards, the CREDAWARD recognises projects that bring together design quality, sustainability, user-oriented planning and urban impact across different scales. Managing Director Thomas Lücking and Project Manager Pin Lu attended the award ceremony in Shanghai.
King Salman Park is being developed on the site of a former military airport near the centre of Riyadh and covers an area of 16.9 square kilometres. Inspired by the wadis characteristic of the region, the design brings landscape and architecture together to create a new park landscape. The project focuses on ecological regeneration and the creation of public spaces for a city in an arid region. It is one of the key projects of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030.
SUSTech School of Medicine, located in Xili University Town in Shenzhen, comprises approximately 164,000 square metres of gross floor area. Together with the university hospital being developed on the opposite side of the Dasha River, it forms a cohesive medical and academic campus. Open ground floors, sunken plazas, garden terraces and skybridges define the campus. The integration of landscape and architecture creates spaces for teaching, research and everyday interaction. The School of Medicine is currently in the final phase of construction.
Photo: © Credaward, from left to right: Du Pengzhan, Chief Architect, Center for Engineering and Design Management, Shenzhen Municipal Bureau of Housing and Urban-Rural Development; Chen Jianbang, Head of Planning and Development at Shui On Land and Group Head of Sustainability; Thomas Lücking, Managing Director of Gerber Architekten International; Pin Lu, Project Manager at Gerber Architekten International.