Columbia concentration camp memorial

Artistic-architectural concept for marking and making the historical place visible The Columbia concentration camp was one of the first concentration camps during the Nazi era and was located on the northern edge of the Berlin Tempelhof airport site, which was demolished when it was built. With the aim of making the building and part of German history visible again in public space, the “Topography of Terror” foundation organized a design competition to which Ruairí O’Brien was invited to develop a proposal. Our heritage-protected and barrier-free concept is deliberately kept simple. The footprint and volume of the missing building are partially marked at the original location using a band made of Corten steel. This allows the entire area to be experienced in many different ways. Thanks to the striking bridge and the large gravel areas, the area can be perceived at different levels. As the viewer moves, his perspective changes and creates new spaces for thinking. The footbridge is at the same time a signal with a long-distance effect, which provides a clear reference to the memorial site and also offers the opportunity to explore the entire area. Sponsor: Topography of Terror Foundation Project partners: Slapa and the spatial planners