the house

In 1997, the then Minister President of the State of Lower Saxony, Gerhard Schröder, inaugurated the new facilities of the kestnergesellschaft at Goseriede 11. Simultaneously, the "Münchener Abendzeitung" declared the remodelled exhibition facility "Germany’s most beautiful exhibition house." The remodelling of the former Goseriede swimming-pool into an up-to-date exhibition house not only incorporates the high technical demands of modern exhibition operations but also preserves and showcases the "Jugendstil" features of this historic landmark. With its five halls on two levels, the house has at its command more than 1,500 square meters of exhibition surface.

history of the house

From 1902 to 1905 the Hanoverian chief city architectural commissioner, Carl Wolff, oversaw the construction of the Goseriede swimming-pool. The middle section of the public bathing facility was destroyed in 1943 during the Second World War, and later rebuilt from 1947 to 1953. After the reopening, the pool remained in use until 1982. In the same year, the city placed the beautiful "Jugendstil" façade under protection as a monument. In 1990 the publishing house Madsack purchased the building, offering the sections of the former women’s pool area, entrance hall and all adjoining rooms to the kestnergesellschaft for its use. An international architectural competition was launched in 1992 in search of an innovative design for the space with the support of Norddeutsche Landesbank. Chaired by Prof. Peter P. Schweger, the jury awarded the first prize to the Hanoverian architects Kai-Michael Koch, Anne Panse and Christian Hühn. In collaboration with the curators of the kestnergesellschaft, their design was developed further into the elegant and dynamic amalgamation of modern architectural elements. The prize of the Association of German Architects of the State of Lower Saxony was awarded to the building in 1998.

exhibition spaces

Each of the five halls at kestnergesellschaft has its own unique dimensions and atmosphere. Able to accommodate diverse exhibition concepts, the spaces can be transformed with high-tech equipment including a close-meshed and invisible network of electrical connections in the floors, walls and ceilings. The lateral galleries in the Halls II and III can be closed off to create smaller exhibition spaces. The total of twelve entrances into the Claussen Hall may be used to create different orientations of projects and viewers. In planning for the building renovations, care was also taken to create the necessary infrastructure for the careful transport and handling of artworks to and within the halls, with direct access to the exhibition spaces via loading dock. Due to ceiling-high gates on the ground- and upper-floors along with a large elevator, pieces arrive safely and easily into the exhibition halls.