Museum Ehrhardt breaks ground

Construction has officially begun on the Museum Ehrhardt in northeastern Germany. Once completed, the building will mark the first exhibition complex in Europe designed by Kéré Architecture, the studio founded by Pritzker Prize–winning architect Diébédo Francis Kéré.

Located in the village of Plüschow, a district of Upahl not far from the Baltic Sea coast, the Museum Ehrhardt will be dedicated to photography and contemporary art. The initiative was launched by Dr. Jens Ehrhardt, son of the artist Alfred Ehrhardt (1901–1984), together with his wife Elke Weicht-Ehrhardt. A painter, photographer, and filmmaker, Alfred Ehrhardt was one of the key figures of the New Objectivity (Neue Sachlichkeit) movement, which helped redefine artistic vision in twentieth-century Germany.

The museum is expected to open to the public by the end of 2027.

Museum Ehrhardt: Architecture Rooted in Place

The future museum will rise next to Schloss Plüschow, currently home to an artist residency and gallery.
The project adopts a contextual and craft-based approach, grounded in the use of local timber and rammed-earth construction techniques. A wooden pergola recalls traditional gabled forms, while a green roof integrates the building harmoniously into the surrounding landscape.

At the heart of the composition runs an 80-meter-long rammed-earth wall, a sculptural element that defines the exhibition spaces and contributes to natural climate control through its thermal mass, which regulates humidity and temperature. Above it stands a demountable and reusable timber structure, developed in collaboration with the Austrian firm HK Architekten, which oversaw the executive phase of the project.

Outdoor spaces play a key role in the design: the roof garden becomes a natural biotope, while the ground-level garden, conceived as an extension of the museum café, is designed to collect and reuse rainwater for irrigation, reducing dependence on external water resources.

By combining sustainable architecture, family heritage, and constructional innovation, the Museum Ehrhardt aspires to become a new landmark for culture and architecture in Europe.

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