Messe Düsseldorf to give its South entrance a complete facelift

Having recently survived K 2016, with its nineteen completely sold out halls and massive attendance levels, now, Germany-based Messe Düsseldorf has announced that plans for the complete reconstruction of the exhibition center’s south entrance, including its Hall 1 building have been approved. The work is scheduled to start after interpack 2017.

According to Messe Düsseldorf CEO Werner Dornscheidt, “we are creating a high-quality situation for exhibitors and visitors, both architecturally and functionally – the kind that we already have at the North Entrance.”

Both hall 1 and 2 will be demolished, to be replaced by a new hall 1 measuring 158 meters in length, 77 meters in width and will comprise more than 12,000 sq meters in total, roughly the size of the halls 8a and 8b. The true eyecatcher, however, will be a new illuminated and translucent canopy, 7,800 square meters in size and about 20 meters high. Jurek Slapa, Managing Partner at sop architekten, who designed the canopy, waxed lyrical:

“The canopy gives the Düsseldorf Exhibition Centre a new face and an unmistakable address in a unique position between the Rhine and the Nordpark. At the same time, it integrates the existing convention center, CCD, ensuring a sensitive approach to existing structures.”

The reconstruction is part of the Messe Düsseldorf Group’s masterplan for the modernization of the Düsseldorf Exhibition Centre, which it developed in response to the massive changes have taken place in the trade fair sector over the last 15 to 20 years. On the one hand, says Werner Dornscheidt, the sector has developed into a global industry, so that trade fair themes are now organized on a worldwide scale, and on the other hand, leading trade fairs of various industries have turned into meeting points of a globalized business scene. And trade fairs, too, have changed in character. The leading trade fairs of those industries, he says, have long turned into venues of international knowledge transfer where all stakeholders can exchange ideas, whether they are scientists, start-ups or global multinationals.

The Group’s masterplan started with the rebuilding of Halls 6 and 7 in 2000. The entire plan is based on continuous reviews of the project to ensure that it genuinely meets the customer’s needs, coupled with cost effectiveness and sustainable development.

Dornscheidt is pleased that the plans have been approved and that the Messe can look forward to starting this latest project “We can now implement our Masterplan for the complete modernization and renewal of the premises at our home base – and indeed, as always, without subsidies.” The investment volume of this southern section is EUR 140 million. In all, Messe Düsseldorf will invest around EUR 636 million until 2030.

The work is expected to be completed by the time K 2019 rolls around.