Forum Museumsinsel

Right next to the UNESCO World Heritage Site Museum Island in Berlin, the four-hectare Forum an der Museumsinsel urban quarter was created. Bordered by the River Spree to the south and Oranienburger Straße to the north, with the synagogue located directly opposite, the ensemble’s buildings date from the late 18th century to the modern era. Most are listed monuments and are arranged around a central square. The entire site is protected as a heritage ensemble.

From March 2020 to May 2022, WBRE was responsible for the planning and construction management of the Logenhaus. Built in 1791 at Oranienburger Straße 71/72, the Logenhaus is the oldest surviving Masonic lodge building in Germany and once served as the seat of the “Große Landesloge der Freimaurerei.” It has now been converted into commercial and office space.

To ensure a heritage-compliant conversion, WBRE’s scope of planning services was expanded to deliver the complex execution requirements from a single source. The main challenge was to reconcile technical demands related to fire safety and structural stability with heritage preservation requirements and a contemporary redesign.

The existing roof structure was reinforced and re-covered with traditional beaver-tail tiles. The representative north façade was restored in accordance with monument protection standards, the south façade was newly plastered, and all windows were refurbished following historical models.

The building envelope renovation and high-quality interior fit-out of the Logenhaus were completed in March 2023.