Work continues on one of the most ambitious construction projects in the history of Messe Düsseldorf: By the summer of 2019, the company will have completed a new multifunctional hall with conference rooms and a new fully glazed South Entrance with a translucent illuminated canopy and adjacent underground car park. This will create one of the most modern trade fair and event locations in the southern section of the Messe Düsseldorf trade fair site, a venue that meets the highest standards in architectural and functional terms. The investment volume for this southern section is EUR 140 million. The K trade show, the world's leading exhibition for the plastics and rubber industry, will once again fill the entire Messe Düsseldorf site from 16 to 23 October 2019 and also use the new Hall 1 and entrance area.
“We regard this construction project as an important step towards the complete modernisation and renewal of our venue. It allows us to adapt it to the demands and requirements of customers and, additionally, further enhance the service factor”, enthuses Werner Dornscheidt, Chairman of Messe Düsseldorf. “And, as usual, the whole project is being completed without subsidies.”
One of the most modern trade fair and event locations
Following the northern expansion of the Messe site in 2004, Helmut Oberholz, managing partner of slapa oberholz pszczulny, the team of architects commissioned with this project, is proud to be entrusted with the New South Entrance development. “The core element of our design is a colossal 7,800m² translucent glass-fibre fabric canopy with a height of around 20 metres that marks the new entrance. We're delighted at this opportunity to contribute so significantly to the unique urban development between the Rhine and Nordpark with an address that overlooks this city and is so clearly visible from afar.”
Trade fair and congress visitors are greeted by this impressive canopy, a structure that simultaneously accommodates taxi ranks, public transport stops and the entrance to the underground car park. After entering, trade fair visitors can continue from here through the entrance portal into the lofty foyer, 16.5 metres high and with a 82-metre wide glass front that opens onto the forecourt and can also be used as an event location. An exciting spatial structure is created by means of cantilevered glass conference halls that project from the first floor into the entrance hall, itself a design suggestive of an atrium. Ample space is also provided here in an area exceeding 2,000m² for essential services such as cash desks and cloakrooms.
The South Entrance leads directly into Hall 1. With a length of 158 metres, a width of 77 metres and a cantilevered area exceeding 12,000m², it is more or less equivalent to Halls 8 a and b and provides around 550m² more space than both the old Halls 1 and 2. Both technically and in terms of the flexible utilisation options it offers, the new hall meets the highest demands of exhibitors and visitors and matches the exacting standards of the entire trade fair site. The new conference area is located on the first floor of the hall, offering six conference rooms, which can be flexibly divided to suit different utilisation conditions and adapted in terms of their size. A transparent bridge connects the first floor to the existing congress centre.
“Commissions of this magnitude where up to 500 workers can be on site simultaneously during peak phases of interior construction are a familiar part of our work, but always represent a challenge”, explained Thomas Kleine-Kalmer, authorised representative and divisional manager of the general contractor, Köster GmbH of Osnabrück/Germany, on the occasion of the groundbreaking ceremony. “We are delighted to have won an order of this importance for the cityscape of Düsseldorf and to have the opportunity to help build Messe Düsseldorf's future.”
Messe Düsseldorf 2030: The future strategy
In addition to energy-efficient building technology, flexible utilisation options and connected congress facilities are among the most important requirements a contemporary and sustainable trade fair venue needs to meet. Messe Düsseldorf has reacted in a timely manner to these developments and, in addition to the international Messe Düsseldorf 2030 strategy which focuses on expansion of the global portfolio and strengthening of international sales in the concept of business activities, has also developed a master plan for the modernisation of the trade fair site. This master plan kicked off with the new construction of Halls 6 and 7 in 2000, and 11 of the 19 halls had been newly built or completely renovated by autumn 2016. “We have a traditional understanding of customer orientation and service in a comprehensive sense”, emphasised Werner Dornscheidt. “The Messe Düsseldorf 2030 concept therefore equally encompasses site and portfolio development and the trade fair organiser's hardware and software.”
Up-to-the-minute information on the New South Entrance construction project is available at www.messe-duesseldorf.de/bau
December 2017
Contact:
K 2019 Press Office
Eva Rugenstein/Desislava Angelova/Sabrina Giewald
Tel.: +49-211-4560 240 / Fax.: +49-211-4560 8548
Email: AngelovaD@messe-duesseldorf.de/ GiewaldS@messe-duesseldorf.de
Information on K 2019 at www.k-online.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/K.Tradefair?fref=ts
Twitter: https://twitter.com/K_tradefair
About the Messe Düsseldorf Group:
With a turnover of about EUR 443 million in 2016, Messe Düsseldorf Group maintained its position as one of the most successful German trade fair and exhibition companies. Around 32,100 exhibitors presented their products to 1.6 million trade visitors at events in Düsseldorf during this trade fair year. Added to this were approximately a half a million congress visitors. With around 50 trade fairs, 23 of these being premier events in five areas of expertise (Machinery, Plant and Equipment, Retail, Crafts and Services, Medicine and Health, Fashion and Lifestyle and Leisure) at the Düsseldorf location and around 70 own events, participations and commissioned events abroad, Messe Düsseldorf Group is one of the world's leading export platforms. Messe Düsseldorf GmbH holds the no. 1 position in terms of internationality during capital goods fairs. At its own events in the expertise area of machinery, plant and equipment, 72 % of exhibitors and trade visitors in 2016 came from abroad to the venue on the Rhine and, in total, customers from around 180 countries visited trade fairs in Düsseldorf. Sales and distribution points for 137 countries (74 foreign representative offices) and competence centres in 8 countries form the global network of the corporate group.
About sop architekten
The architects J.M. Slapa, H. Oberholz and Z. Pszczulny have worked together for around 30 years on the development and realisation of building projects involving office, commercial, hotel, industrial and residential construction and at airports, sports venues and both educational and research facilities. Based in Düsseldorf and with a team of around 90 employees, the architecture firm of sop architekten is globally active and committed to a clear and timeless architectural language and holistic approach to every building project, right down to the last detail. With buildings such as the Gap 15, the Hyatt Hotel in the Media Harbour, the Esprit Arena or the new Düsseldorf Airport, sop architekten has strongly influenced the cityscape of Düsseldorf. The firm's foremost international reference projects include the Orjin Maslak business centre in Istanbul and Wroclaw’s UEFA Euro 2012 football stadium.
About Köster GmbH
Köster GmbH is one of the leading providers in the construction industry in Germany in the areas of building and civil engineering. The services it provides range from individual planning to turnkey construction. Holistic, innovative building solutions which closely involve the customer are realised through a network of 16 subsidiaries and 15 competence centres. Established in 1938 and based in Osnabrück, Köster GmbH is part of the Köster Group which is active all over Germany.
