Art Institutions Relocate from Historic Essen Site
The iconic Karstadt headquarters building in Essen, Germany, is set for a new lease of life as a hotel with 159 rooms, slated for completion by the end of 2025. This transformation follows the relocation of Galeria's headquarters to Düsseldorf, which was announced last year as part of the recent insolvency proceedings [2].
The building, significant for the history of man, the city of Essen, the Ruhr region, and the development of working and production conditions, was initially constructed from 1967 to 1969. Designed by Walter Brune from Düsseldorf, the complex initially consisted of three buildings, with a fourth one added later [8]. The original building was placed under monument protection in 2017 [7].
The move to Düsseldorf will involve the entire service center with 690 employees [1]. The new location for the service center is the property "RWI 4" in Düsseldorf-Unterbilk near the Media Harbour [4]. Interestingly, this property was previously owned by the insolvent Signa group of René Benko, one of the predecessor companies of today's Galeria group [3].
The report by the Rhine-Westphalian Landscape Association highlights the building's importance [6]. In its heyday, around 3,000 people worked in the Karstadt headquarters [9]. The North Rhine-Westphalian state police rented space in the complex, and the bus stop in front of the complex will continue to be called "Karstadt Hauptverwaltung" [2, 4].
As for the vacant spaces in the complex after the departure of Galeria administration, there is currently no information available. A renaming of the bus stop is not planned at the moment [4]. The departure of Galeria marks the end of an era for the city of Essen, but the transformation of the historic building into a hotel promises a new beginning.
Investing in the revitalization of historical buildings, such as the former Karstadt headquarters, could potentially be a profitable venture in the real-estate industry. The transformation of this significant building, protected since 2017, is expected to attract finance from various sources involved in business development. This hotel project could mark a stepping stone in Essen's cityscape and the region's financial growing landscape.
