Grossmarkt is a huge wholesale market where vegetables, fruits and flowers are traded on an area of 40,000 m2. At the time of its construction in 1958-1962, it was the largest wholesale market in the world; the spectacular undulating ceilings and the use of prestressed reinforced concrete also attracted everyone's attention. However, these days the pattern of such trading has changed, and part of the market at the beginning of the 2010s was not used. Because of this, the original purpose of the building was under threat (it itself has the status of an architectural monument, so it is not threatened with demolition).
In this regard, in 2012, the authorities of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg allowed the Mehr! Theater to be built into the building of the architect Bernhard Hermkes. Entertainment. It was designed by F101 Architekten. Their construction on a steel frame is built into the market without affecting its structure: if desired, it can be easily disassembled, and the Grossmarkt will not be affected by this. However, some changes - carefully coordinated with the city's monument protection - were made: to build the stage hold, the duct was re-routed to expel truck exhaust from the market basement, and more glazed parts were added to the façade to illuminate the foyer.
The transformable space of the theater is suitable for a wide variety of events - from a rock concert to a performance, from a gala reception to a boxing match. Depending on the configuration, the Mehr! can accommodate up to 3500 people, and its stage changes its size from 320 to 1440 m2. The restrained decor of the interior only emphasizes the open plan without partitions and false ceilings. The lobby and bars are also spacious.
The technical equipment "extends" beyond the scope of the theater, attracting the attention of buyers and sellers of the Grossmarkt to it. Despite the different opening hours - the theater is open in the evening, the market - at the junction of night and morning - the architects hope that these institutions will enter into a "symbiosis" of culture and industry.
