Konzerthaus

In 1904 the city commissioned Curjel & Moser to design an exhibition hall. This hall was to replace a temporary building from 1877. The temporary building had been moved to the Festplatz in 1884. It also needed a theater with a concert hall. The Konzerthaus was born. The architects initially wanted separate buildings for the theater and exhibition hall. City planning delayed construction until 1913. The original design was Jugendstil. It evolved into a Neoklassizistic style influenced by Friedrich Weinbrenner’s work. The Konzerthaus’s north facade resembles Weinbrenner’s Evangelical City Church. It features a pediment crowned Corinthian portico. A relief by Karl Albiker depicted the Birth of Venus. Sadly this was destroyed in 1942. Inside the 85.5-meter-long 35-meter-wide building were two areas. One was the main hall with ancillary spaces. The other was the stage house. During World War I the Konzerthaus served as a hospital. From 1926 it hosted concerts and theater performances. It also became a cinema showing cultural films. In the 1930s it became a Ufa cinema called the Capitol. A 1942 air raid destroyed the portico and facade. The main front was rebuilt simply. The roof lantern above the main foyer was lost. From 1945 until 1975 it served as a replacement venue for the Badisches Staatstheater. A 1992-1994 renovation restored the colonnaded entrance hall. The large hall was modernized. It is now a multi-purpose venue primarily used for theater and concerts. The smaller hall hosts conferences and presentations. Stephan Balkenhol created a new ceramic relief for the gable field in 1996. Since 2000 the Karlsruher Messe-und Kongress-GmbH has operated the Konzerthaus. Today it is part of a congress center alongside the Stadthalle Schwarzwaldhalle Gartenhalle and the Hotel Novotel Karlsruhe City. The Konzerthaus Karlsruhe stands as a testament to resilience and architectural evolution. Its history mirrors the city’s own journey through war and peace. It stands proudly as a vibrant cultural hub.