The Dortmunder U, once a fermentation and storage tower for a brewery, has been transformed into a multipurpose centre for the arts and the creative industries. The transformation was part of RUHR.2010 – European Capital of Culture and coincided with broader urban development activities in the city. The adaptive re-use of the tower catalysed the redevelopment of the surrounding Rheinische Straße into a creative neighbourhood.
Dortmund has a history of industrial activity centred around the production of coal, iron, and beer. In this tradition, the Dortmunder U was erected in 1926/27 by Union brewery as a production facility for beer. It was the first high-rise building in the whole of Dortmund. In 1968, the iconic ’U’ was placed on the building by Ernst Neufert. In 1994, the brewery was closed and demolished by its owner. The iconic status of the tower saved it from being demolished as well. [3]
The Dortmunder U is located in the Union Quarter, a neighbourhood that, prior to its regeneration between 2008 and 2019, suffered from a lack of identity and maintenance, high unemployment levels and vacancy rates, and social unrest. At the same time, the multi-cultural area had high social potential and had always been attractive to creatives and artists. [3]
In the late 1990s, the first plans were developed to utilise Dortmunder U for creative and artistic purposes. The HartwareMedienKunstVerein got permission from the brewery and the municipality to utilise the tower as a temporary exhibition area. It received a positive public response, and more temporary artistic uses followed. Definite plans for repurposing the building arose in light of the programme RUHR.2010 – European Capital of Culture, which was themed “Change through culture, culture through change”. [3]
Nowadays, Dortmunder U is a multifunctional centre for the arts and the creative industries. It is dedicated to art from the 20th and 21st centuries and aims to develop innovative concepts of cultural education in the digital age to initiate partnerships between art and science. It has a characteristic media façade that illuminates the rooftop using 1,7 million LED spots. The tower is home to different users, including Museum Ostwall, the Hartware MedienKunstVerein, the Cultural Office of the City of Dortmund, the Dortmund University of Applied Sciences and Arts, the TU Dortmund University, the European Centre for the Creative Economy (ECCE) and the association U Cinema. It is also home to a restaurant. [1;3]
Repurposing the Dortmunder U coincided with more comprehensive urban development activities throughout Dortmund. The City of Dortmund decided to integrate the Dortmunder U project into the “Integrated Action Concept for Urban Redevelopment Rheinische Straße”, which was implemented between 2008 and 2019. By integrating Dortmunder U into this overall development plan, it catalysed creative and artistic activities throughout the broader neighbourhood, contributing to the renewed character of the area as a creative district. Such activities include, for instance, the establishment of a Creative Industries Incubator and a residency programme for creatives. [3;4]
Up until the early 2000s, Brau und Brunnen AG (previously known as Union Brewery), the brewery that owns the tower, cooperates with the municipality and other organisations to develop plans for the re-utilisation of the tower. In 2004, the brewery was taken over by Radeberger Gruppe BV, which does not have an interest in developing the building. In 2005, the municipality can persuade Radeberger Gruppe to sell them the building for the symbolic value of €1-. [2]
Developing plans for the renovation and redevelopment leads to political discussion until the RUHR.2010 – European Capital of Culture provides the last nudge for the start of redevelopment. [2;3] Later, the project is integrated into the urban redevelopment plans for the Rheinische Straße, which are led by the Department for Urban Regeneration of the City of Dortmund. The governance structure included a diversity of stakeholders, including funders and citizens. Overall, the regeneration is controlled by the municipality’s board of directors, in which all departments of the municipality are represented. [3]
A budget of €45.790.000 was allocated to the Dortmunder U. Of this, 70% was provided by the German state and the EU, 30% by the City of Dortmund. [3]
An additional €11.720.000 was allocated to the broader urban redevelopment project, of which 80% was contributed by the German Federal Ministry of Interior, Building, and Community in the framework of the National Urban Development policy and 20% by the City of Dortmund. Moreover, €2.600.000 was provided through private investments and additional municipal funds. [3]
Dortmunder U, organisational website, www.dortmunder-u.de/, accessed on 27/01/2022
Noltemeyer S (2009) Kulturplanung Dortmunder U: Vom kommunalen Streitgegenstand zum Leuchtturmprojekt der Kulturhauptstadt Ruhr.Diplomarbeit, Technical University Dortmund.
Castro, Alejandra and Wascher, Eva (2021): Dortmunder U and Union Quarter – The Role of Meanwhile Uses in Urban RegenerationT-Factor Advanced Case Study ReportWorking Paper, TU Dortmund UniversityDOI: 10.17877/DE290R-22049.
Stadt DOrrtmund (2018), Stadterneuerung Rheinische Straße – Abschlussevaluation (Urban renewal Rheinische Straße – final evaluation, available on www.dortmund.de/media/p/stadterneuerung/unionviertel_rheinische_strasse/pdf_rheinische_strasse/Evaluationsbericht_2018_DSNr12347-18.pdf, accessed on 27/01/2022