HOUSE OF ONE

KUEHN MALVEZZI - BERLIN, GERMANY - 2026

key words: abrahamic, Church, Dialogue, Interfaith, Masjid, Multifaith, Synagogue, Transcendence, Worship

THE HOUSE OF ONE - Photography: © Ulrich Schwarz

The House of One in Berlin represents a radical experiment in interfaith architecture, uniting a church, synagogue, and mosque beneath a single roof on the historic foundations of Berlin’s oldest church. Conceived in 2012 through a collaboration between Father Gregor Hohberg, Rabbi Andreas Nachama, and Imam Kadir Sadir, the project embodies the belief that the three Abrahamic faiths share more commonalities than differences. Its design, selected through competition, sought to express “sacred transcendence” while remaining open to people of all or no religion. Architecturally, the scheme is deliberately neutral and monolithic, blending into Berlin’s classical surroundings while employing geometric clarity to distinguish each prayer space: a rectangular church, a square mosque, and a hexagonal synagogue. These separate sanctuaries are connected by a central congregation hall, conceived as a platform for dialogue and exchange between communities.

Critically, the House of One functions less as a traditional sacred building and more as a socio-political statement. Its symbolic potential - promoting inclusivity, solidarity, and dialogue - has been widely celebrated, securing political and financial backing from the German state. Yet its limitations are evident: architecture alone cannot resolve entrenched religious conflicts. Instead, its strength lies in its performative role, offering a spatial metaphor for coexistence and a civic space that invites negotiation between distinct yet overlapping identities.

"It's important to always try to understand how someone else sees things, where someone is coming from or what they believe... Society profits when there's dialogue. And that's what we're doing here." - Pastor Gregor Hohberg