Dresden Erlwein Prize for family center

The conversion of the Johannstadt chocolate factory has been awarded the City of Dresden's Erlwein Prize 2024. The award for exemplary contemporary building culture, which is endowed with 10,000 euros, will be presented to Alexander Poetzsch Architekturen this Friday, according to a press release. The architects converted the building into an integrative family center for the German Child Protection Association.

The jury praised the "extreme restraint" with which the 1921 factory was renovated and selectively added to and the radical nature of the design. "The visualization of every intervention and the recognizably spartan use of resources, in addition to a specific "conversion aesthetic", create an inspiring narrative."

A total of 31 applications were received for the prize this time, which is being awarded for the ninth time. "Even in difficult times, Dresden builds with quality, but above all with its own standards and in the awareness of preserving cultural values and making them tangible in a new way," said Lord Mayor Dirk Hilbert (FDP). There is interest and appreciation for building culture among experts, but also among investors, owners, administrations and the public.

The Erlwein Prize is named after the city planning officer Hans Jacob Erlwein (1872-1914), has been awarded since 1997 and has been presented every four years since 2001. Erlwein designed a number of landmark buildings between 1904 and 1914, such as the Italian Village in the historic Old Town and the striking warehouse building on the banks of the Elbe.