Architecture for diversity and dialog: Building permit for the Forum Deutsche Sprache granted
Following a successful planning process, the City of Mannheim has given the green light for the construction of the new Forum Deutsche Sprache. Construction is scheduled to begin this fall with the laying of the foundation. Through our design for this pioneering knowledge and meeting center, an interactive museum, science center, and vibrant gathering space for everyone will come to life – celebrating the richness and dynamism of language. The Forum Deutsche Sprache, donated by the Klaus Tschira Foundation, will provide the Neckarstadt with a new cultural venue, offering a cross-generational place for encounters, integration and exchange. Like language itself, the building enables connection and communication. Completion is scheduled for 2028.
Henning Lobin, Scientific Director of the Leibniz Institute for the German Language (IDS), emphasizes from the users’ perspective, “I would like to thank all project partners, especially the Klaus Tschira Foundation for its generous donation and the City of Mannheim for providing the building site. The Forum aims to become a place where visitors experience how vital direct dialog and a conscious approach to language are for our society – especially in times of artificial intelligence. This aspiration is also reflected in the transparent architecture of the new building, which opens out onto the public square.”
Fredrik Werner, Partner at HENN, adds, “With the Forum Deutsche Sprache, we are creating an open place for encounters, dialog and knowledge-sharing, making the diversity and vibrancy of the German language tangible through architecture. Our design connects people, generations and cultures – right in the heart of Mannheim.”
