Civic Center, Magdeburg

Based on plans by city surveyor Johannes Göderitz, the Magdeburg Civic Center was built in 1927 within a period of only four months to serve as the municipal events and multipurpose hall. The expressive brick construction is an important historic monument, although only its exterior design can be traced to the original structure. After suffering devastating damage during the war, the Civic Center was gradually rebuilt between 1957 and 1966. Since then it has been a major event venue for the capital city of Magdeburg, although the building itself has never been thoroughly refurbished, the only changes being partial extensions. In addition to the refurbishment and restoration of the façade in accordance with specifications for monument preservation, the commission is mainly concerned with optimizing utilization: The stage will be moved from the south end to the north, thus creating an additional multifunctional area. As part of the redesign, the additions from the GDR era will be demolished and the structure will be extended in a way that is consistent with the older building. All interior functional areas will be redesigned, relocated, and modernized.