Key visual for the competition entry "Untitled", Art in Architecture competition "New school site on Schulstraße", visualisation: Ulf Neumann, 2025
School on Schulstraße
As part of Berlin’s school construction programme, a new school building is being constructed on a site of approximately 13,000 m² at Schulstraße 97 in 13347 Berlin (Wedding district). From the 2026/27 school year onwards, approximately 660 pupils will attend this school. Due to renovation work on the current Albert-Gutzman-Schule building, this school community will move there for the duration of the renovation.
In accordance with the Building Directive (ABau), funds for art in architecture were also allocated for this school building. Chaired by the artist Friederike Klotz, the jury voted by a majority on Thursday, 4 December 2025 to recommend the implementation of the challenging design “o.T.” by the artist Ulf Neumann.
The competition entry “Brunnen” by the artist Oliver van den Berg (in collaboration with Dr Sarah Scheibenberger) came second, whilst “abstract play/mosaic” by Robert Neu came third.
Art Competition
In connection with this construction project, the State of Berlin, represented by the Mitte District Office in consultation with HOWOGE, launched a two-phase, Germany-wide, open and anonymous public art competition in accordance with the State of Berlin’s Guidelines for Public Art and Art in Urban Spaces (as of 2019) and the Guidelines for Planning Competitions (RPW 2013), insofar as applicable to art in public spaces.
The aim of this competition was to create an outdoor artwork at this new school site that was specifically designed for this location and distinguished by its artistic originality. All forms of contemporary art were eligible. The jury met on 4 December 2025.
Of the 111 eligible entries submitted, twelve were invited to the second phase for further development. The designs by the following artists progressed to the second phase and were discussed in detail at the jury meeting: Stef Heidhues, Jeroen Jacobs, Guido Klumpe, Robert Neu, Ulf Neumann, Christine Olbrich, Wouter Osterholt, Thomas & Renée Rapedius, Oliver van den Berg, Ute Vorkoeper, Gloria Zein.
The jury comprised the following expert judges: the artists Christin Kaiser, Friederike Klotz (Chair), Karsten Konrad, Farkhondeh Sharhoudi and Ann Schomburg (permanent deputy expert judge); The technical judges were Andreas Enge, Project Manager for School Construction at HOWOGE Wohnungsbaugesellschaft; Benjamin Fritz, District Councillor for Schools and Sport in the Mitte district; and Florian Gruner, Managing Director of a+r Architekten GmbH Stuttgart. The jury assessed the entries in both phases with the same composition.