Heidelberg Convention Center

A compact cube with a versatile interior

Under the motto „Space is performance“, the award-winning Heidelberg Congress Center opened its doors on 20 April 2024. We are proud to have made a substantial contribution to this impressive project with our expertise in interior fit-out. Our innovative solutions – in particular the flexible and agile furnishing by westermann products – have raised the use of space to a new level.

The building, designed by Degelo Architekten, impresses with its compact, sparingly fenestrated outer structure, while the interior surprises with light-flooded, almost dematerialised spaces. The nearly 20-metre-high foyer, drenched in zenith light, and the building-high, imposing „Großer Saal“ (Grand Hall) emphasise this contrast and form the heart of the spatial concept.

The Heidelberg Congress Center offers two halls, nine flexibly combinable conference rooms, a studio for live streaming and video production as well as a show kitchen. Around 3,800 people can attend conferences, symposia or meetings here at the same time. To meet the diverse demands of different event formats, the focus was on flexible spatial design and use. Together with the design studio wd3, we developed the modular „Space Companion“ system specifically for the Heidelberg Congress Center. Through its versatile uses and configurations, this system enables room structures to be built from large blocks. The individual modules, resting on Xbrick®, offer generous, stable seating or standing tables. Combined with further modules, spaces can be structured and zoned. These modules can be grouped into work landscapes or lounge areas and used as seating, shelving or planters.

For the interior fit-out, we used premium wall claddings in elm in most of the event spaces and integrated a wide variety of doors and door combinations flush into concrete walls and plaster. The door work posed a particular challenge, as numerous electrical components had to be precisely integrated between the exposed concrete and the door element.

The public areas of the building are kept almost entirely in white. White concrete and light terrazzo floors dominate the colour scheme, while the warm tones of the doors and wall claddings provide pleasant contrasts. The aesthetically appealing wooden handrails in elm that we installed are eye-catchers, too! The hardwood used also guarantees longevity in heavily frequented areas.