History and architecture of hall construction in Karlsruhe

Foundation and development of the ammunition factory 

It all began in 1872, when the cartridge case factory Henri Ehrmann & Cie. was founded in Karlsruhe. After several changes of ownership and name as well as a license to manufacture live ammunition, the company's headquarters were relocated to Berlin in 1896; a branch of the company, now called Deutsche Waffen- und Munitionsfabrik (DWM), remained in Karlsruhe.

In the following years, the product range is constantly expanded - also through acquisitions - so that by 1914, almost all products required for warfare are in the range. With the start of the First World War, demand increases rapidly, and a supply contract with the German Reich in the event of war gives reason to push ahead with an expansion of the factory in Karlsruhe. The architect Philipp Jakob Manz was commissioned in 1914 and the construction of ten atriums, Hallenbau A, began immediately.

Architecture of the hall construction 

The building, which is based on a reinforced concrete skeleton, comprises two long buildings and eleven connecting transverse spans that enclose the atriums. The floor space on the first floor is 16,500 square meters. The external pillars and six risalits, in which the stairwells are located, give rhythm to the building, while large windows provide plenty of light. 

Modern industrial design is combined with pragmatism in the Hallenbau : rail tracks for the factory railroad enable deliveries to be made directly on site, the double comb floor plan allows administrative and delivery processes to be carried out in the longitudinal buildings, while the actual production takes place in the transverse buildings. The majority of the company's workers are women.

From munitions factory to art center

In 1922, the company is briefly renamed Berlin-Karlsruher Industrie-Werke AG (BERKA) in order to comply with the Treaty of Versailles. After a change of management, however, this renaming was reversed in 1936. During the Second World War, many forced laborers were deployed in Hallenbau for the production of ammunition and had to work under the most adverse conditions. With around 30,000 workers, the factory was almost the size of its own town.

After the end of the war and further changes in management and renaming, industry is increasingly relocated from the city to the outskirts. The Hallenbau is abandoned and lies fallow until 1981, when the Kammertheater makes the Hallenbau usable for Karlsruhe culture for the first time. Initially, permits were obtained for this, but soon unauthorized cultural and political events also took place on the site, which became increasingly lively.

Foundation of the ZKM | Center for Art and Media

In 1989, the ZKM | Center for Art and Media is founded in Karlsruhe, which is supposed to move into a new building as the center of the "electronic Bauhaus" under Heinrich Klotz as director. Rem Koolhaas wins the architectural competition, but his building cannot be realized for cost reasons. Hallenbau A was chosen instead. Renovations began in 1993, but left the original structure of the building largely untouched. The architectural firm Schweger + Partner from Hamburg added bridges and walkways as passageways, and added today's media theater and a cube in front of the building. In 1997, the ZKM is officially opened and, together with the Städtische Galerie and the Hochschule für Gestaltung, which have also moved in, is located under a historic, yet modern and innovative roof.