Master plan for the reconstruction of the Bornplatz Synagogue in Hamburg
Synagogue reconstruction, community administration, café, Reform synagogue for the liberal Jewish community, outdoor spaces
4th place in the 2025 architectural design competition in cooperation with Architekturbüro Paul Böhm
Client: Jüdische Gemeinde in Hamburg KdöR
The sacred building to be reconstructed in Hamburg’s Grindelviertel was originally consecrated in 1906 and was one of Germany’s largest synagogues. For more than 30 years, the Bornplatz Synagogue was a religious, cultural, and social hub of the Jewish community in Hamburg. With its Romanesque Revival style, the freestanding structure served as a landmark in the cityscape, and the striking, roughly 40-meter-high cupola was a defining feature of the city skyline. On November 9, 1938, the synagogue was destroyed by the Nazis during Kristallnacht – and with it, a key part of Jewish life in Hamburg was lost.
Among Hamburg’s Jewish community and in the city itself, a broad desire to rebuild the synagogue emerged. For this purpose, a two-phase competition was held in 2025 – first with 25, then 10 competing architecture firms.
JSWD’s design brings the location’s history to life and allows visitors to experience traces of the past. The underlying concept is the creation of an architectural structure that combines the individual functional areas of the synagogue community into a coherent ensemble. In addition to the equality of the individual elements, the public, continuous character of the ensemble was particularly important while also taking security aspects into account.
With the creation of two freestanding structures and the addition of the school, the urban concept results in a striking ensemble. The positioning of the structures with the Orthodox synagogue at its historic location creates a series of spaces with different characteristics. By expanding the road space on Grindelhof, the community center opens up to the city. The space between the buildings forms an enclosed square. The rear area is designed as a green garden that serves as an oasis of calm. The structures are arranged in such a way that they maintain their independence; however, the transitions are narrow enough to precisely define the individual spaces. Allendeplatz opens up onto Grindelhof, creating a continuous urban space.
The careful reconstruction of the historic synagogue’s exterior in particular pays close attention to the relevant aspects of the culture of remembrance. The foundations, which are below road level, and relics such as flooring, etc., have been integrated into the room of remembrance.
The Orthodox synagogue is entered through the historic entrance. The main room of the synagogue, which is supplemented on both sides by a raised women’s gallery, is located on the second floor and stretches across the entire volume of the building. The ground floor houses a community hall with multiple points of access to the outdoor spaces. Together with the generous foyer, this creates a flexible space for a variety of events. The Reform synagogue is housed prominently in the building on Allendeplatz. Moreover, this building is also home to the youth center, administration, the library, and apartments. The multipurpose room on the ground floor opens up to the synagogue garden and can be used for events. The school’s annex contains not only spaces for the kitchen but also apartments for the rabbi and guests.
There are three primary entrances to the three buildings. However, all structures are also connected to one another underground. The structures are juxtaposed such that the individual areas (Bornplatz and garden) can be easily blocked off for internal events.
Visualizations: PlayTime, model: JSWD