Degelo Architekten

Description

The Heidelberg Congress Center is located in the new Heidelberg Bahnstadt, directly behind the main train station. Europaplatz forms a welcoming gesture from the main station and opens up to the Congress Center. The slanted main entrance creates a small forecourt to the building. This façade principle is repeated on the west side, which faces the Zollhofgarten. Like Heidelberg Castle, the façade is made of Neckar Valley red sandstone. The sandstone was given a slightly wavy vertical structure, so that the play of light and shadow makes it resemble a theatre curtain, appearing weightless instead of solid. Small, teardrop-shaped round windows and the glazed entrances form a contrast to the monolithic façade. Despite the compact outer shell, there are bright and light-flooded rooms inside. Hall 1, the heart of the building, is illuminated by elliptical recesses in the unique Prussian vaulted ceiling. Despite its solid materiality, it appears light and floating. The centrally located main foyer, a unique 20-metre-high space, is illuminated only via skylight. White concrete and pale terrazzo floors determine the colour scheme of the public areas, contrasting with doors and details made of elm wood. The versatility of meeting and event rooms means that multifunctional use is possible simultaneously.