Tempodrom

A Stone Tent on the Site of Anhalter Bahnhof

The Tempodrom is located at Möckernstraße 10 in Kreuzberg, directly next to the foundations of the former south portal of Anhalter Bahnhof. Right next door, on Askanischer Platz, stands the preserved portico of the station, behind which are the Landwehrkanal, the Park am Gleisdreieck, created between 2006 and 2013, and the Anhalter Steg, a pedestrian bridge to the German Museum of Technology. The S-Bahn station Anhalter Bahnhof with lines S1, S2, S25, and S26 is directly in front of the building, while the U-Bahn station Möckernbrücke with lines U1 and U7 is about 500 meters away. There are no private parking spaces, but there are 16 disabled parking spaces in the forecourt, only about 20 meters from the main entrance. It all started on May 1, 1980, when former nurse Irene Moessinger bought a circus tent with an inheritance and set it up directly next to the wall at Potsdamer Platz. In the 1980s, 500 to 3,000 visitors attended each event, and around 200,000 guests came per year. After periods in Tiergarten and at Postbahnhof, construction began at the current location in 1999, and the groundbreaking ceremony followed on May 21, 2000.

A Folding Concrete Roof over the Great Arena

The Tempodrom was designed by Doris Schäffler and Stephan Schütz from the office of Gerkan, Marg and Partner, and was opened at the end of 2001 with the awarding of the European Film Prize. The roof echoes the shape of the old circus tent but consists of twelve-centimeter-thick precast reinforced concrete slabs on a steel framework, rests on twelve steel roller bearings, and rises 37 meters; the construction is often compared to Oscar Niemeyer’s Cathedral of Brasília. The Great Arena is built like a modern amphitheater with upper and lower tiers, measures 33.5 by 33.5 meters with a height of 30 meters, and accommodates up to 4,200 guests; the ring has a diameter of 25 meters and can be enlarged by retracting the grandstands. In addition, there is a Small Arena of approximately 255 square meters for 30 to 400 people and a foyer across three levels. Beneath the building is a saltwater pool 13 meters in diameter under a concrete dome with a skylight. A pure guest performance program of concerts, comedy, and shows is presented, with the highlight being the Roncalli Christmas Circus featuring acrobatics, aerial artistry, and clowning, for which tickets start from 37.60 Euros. An elevator in the foyer provides access to all tiers and the ring.