The Theater Naumburg has been awarded the prestigious Saxony-Anhalt Architecture Prize for its remarkable transformation of a historic slaughterhouse into a modern theater venue. The industrial building underwent extensive renovation over the past three years and was officially inaugurated in May 2025. Where meat was once processed, Germany's smallest municipal theater now performs on stage.
The conversion project impressed the jury with its minimalist approach and commitment to sustainability. The 3,500-euro prize is shared between the responsible Dresden-based architecture firm Peter Zirkel and the city of Naumburg. The Saxony-Anhalt Chamber of Architects announced the award on Wednesday, recognizing the project's outstanding architectural achievement.
Jury chairman Carsten Wiewiorra, a Berlin-based architect, praised the project as an example of forward-thinking construction. "The 125-year-old building was able to be repurposed through maximally reduced interventions. This utilized the existing building's resources in the most sustainable way possible," Wiewiorra told MDR KULTUR. He emphasized that the "modestly minimalist architecture" preserved the "aesthetics of the existing industrial architecture."
The foyer, which serves as the only new construction element within the building, was "sensitively integrated into the existing situation," according to Wiewiorra. Theater director Stefan Neugebauer told MDR KULTUR that the foyer with its paved brick pathway was particularly successful. He described it as having positive energy and a warm atmosphere that makes visitors feel uplifted upon entering. The theater plans to eventually develop a production that begins in the foyer space.
Neugebauer noted that since the reopening, many visitors have come not only for the programming but also out of curiosity about the building itself. Many have been positively surprised by what the former slaughterhouse has become. The Theater Naumburg operates with just eleven employees, making it Germany's smallest municipal theater, with only four performers on stage.
The theater's new venue was made possible in part by a generous benefactor who bequeathed one million euros to the city. This substantial donation was crucial in enabling the small theater to acquire its new performance space in the converted industrial building.
Several other notable projects received recognition in the annual competition organized by the Chamber of Architects and the Saxony-Anhalt Ministry of Infrastructure. The renovated Hyparschale in Magdeburg was honored, along with the new Museum Lützen 1632, a half-timbered house in Quedlinburg, the neighborhood park on Gartenstraße in Dessau-Roßlau, and the conversion of a former barn in Ummendorf in the Börde district.
The public choice award went to the Liebfrauen Concert Hall in Wernigerode, which was selected through online voting. This recognition highlights the diverse range of architectural excellence across Saxony-Anhalt, from historic preservation projects to contemporary cultural venues. The awards ceremony took place in Magdeburg, celebrating the state's commitment to innovative and sustainable architecture that respects historical heritage while meeting modern needs.
