The time has come – a historic moment in Heidelberg’s history is scheduled for April: After three decades of discussion and planning, four years of construction, and an investment of approximately 110 million euros, the new Heidelberg Congress Center (HCC) will be ceremoniously inaugurated in mid-April with a festive event. On the “Open Day” on Saturday, April 20, 2024, from 10 am to 6 pm, the interested public is invited to witness this milestone in Heidelberg’s history with their own eyes.

Heidelberg is one of the most significant national locations for conferences, congresses, and major events. The world-famous castle ruins, Germany’s oldest university, the historic old town with its many shops and restaurants, and Heidelberg’s image as a forward-thinking, dynamic university and science location make the Neckar city a global attraction. Not least, the proximity to Frankfurt Airport, good public transportation connections, and a variety of hotels of different categories contribute to organizers choosing Heidelberg as their conference destination.

In a central location in Heidelberg, in the Bahnstadt, one of Germany’s largest urban development projects and one of the largest passive house settlements in the world, the new multifunctional congress center, the Heidelberg Congress Center (HCC), has now been completed. It will provide a new home at the highest level for national and international congresses and conferences in the science city of Heidelberg.

“The opening of the Heidelberg Congress Center is a milestone for Heidelberg,” says Mayor Eckart Würzner. “For our science city with Germany’s oldest university, many other universities, and world-class research institutions, it is of outstanding importance that conferences with top scientists can take place in Heidelberg in the future. The entire city will benefit from this. The conference center will also become an anchor point for the diverse business landscape in Heidelberg to exchange innovations and new ideas. In four years of construction, the HCC has become an international showcase building that will become a landmark of Heidelberg with its wave-shaped sandstone facade.”

“I have been involved since 2015 regarding decision-making, site determination, planning, and implementation, and I am proud that we, as a community of Heidelberg Marketing, Heidelberger Kultur- und Kongressgesellschaft, the city, municipal construction and service company, architects, structural engineers, craftsmen, and above all, the citizens, have managed to finalize such an outstanding building that will elevate Heidelberg into the premier league of global conference cities,” says Mathias Schiemer, Managing Director of Heidelberg Marketing. “The already good booking situation for the year 2024 confirms that the city of Heidelberg made the right decision to establish the starting point for Heidelberg as a conference city at this location with this building,” adds Thomas-W. Sante, Managing Director of Heidelberger Kultur- und Kongressgesellschaft. The building is already being well received.

The HCC, located opposite the main train station and the new Europaplatz, was built in a sustainable manner with a 1,800 m² photovoltaic system on the roof. The ventilation systems operate with heat recovery systems, which have an efficiency of up to 85 percent. In addition, the building is connected to the district heating and cooling network of Stadtwerke Heidelberg.

The wave-shaped exterior facade made of regional sandstone resembles a stage curtain. The architecturally distinctive building features a flexible room concept on three levels with a gross floor area of 30,000 square meters and a dialogue area of 6,600 square meters. This includes Hall 1 with a capacity of up to 1,800 seats, another hall for 800 people, ten meeting spaces, 2,600 square meters of foyer space, and the Sky Forum with seating tribunes. The total capacity is around 3,800 seats. All rooms are equipped with state-of-the-art communication technology. WLAN and 5G are of course included. Hall 1 also has the largest permanently installed LED wall in Germany. A special highlight: the in-house Green Screen studio for live streaming, recording, and video production – ideal for hybrid events as well.

In the two-story underground garage with 330 parking spaces, parking has also arrived in the future: with 70 electric charging stations for cars and 30 bicycle charging stations, the parking garage welcomes its guests with an exceptionally large number of (hybrid) parking spaces. “Together with our subsidiary, the Bau- und Servicegesellschaft GmbH (BSG), we are responsible for the construction of the new conference center, which will remain in our ownership. We are very proud of the successful new building. My special thanks go to all construction participants and craftsmen who have ensured that we could realize this construction despite difficult conditions in just four years of construction,” says Peter Bresinski, Managing Director of GGH and BSG.

The exclusive caterer Levy Restaurants GmbH, a Compass Group company, is responsible for the gastronomic support at the HCC. In addition, the head chef and his team manage the experience restaurant “the kitchen.” Around three live cooking stations, up to nearly 60 guests can watch and enjoy the preparation of culinary delights at the highest level live. However, reservations from individuals will not be possible.

After the ceremony for the official opening of the HCC, interested citizens can get their own impression of the new congress center during the “Open Day” on April 20, 2024, from 10 am to 6 pm with an inviting program. At 12 noon, Mayor Eckart Würzner will welcome visitors together with Mathias Schiemer. Furthermore, there will be presentations by Mathias Schiemer on the topic “Creation and planning of the Heidelberg Congress Center” at 2 pm, and by Thomas-W. Sante and Florian Walter from the responsible DEGELO Architekten AG from Basel on the topic “Heidelberg Congress Center architectural concept + practical use” at 1 and 3 pm.

An impressive light show and a specially produced opening film for the opening, which will be projected onto the large LED wall, demonstrate the technical possibilities that the HCC will offer to conference guests in the future. Thus, Hall 1 becomes the centerpiece of the building, where the smallest pixel finds its place in the big picture. In addition, digital steles guide and inspire guests to experience the diversity of the house: spacious rooms for groundbreaking decisions, small rooms for meaningful exchange, flexible rooms for variable associations, up to the open space, the Sky Forum, for the free spirit. A wide selection of drinks and culinary delights is provided. It is recommended to travel by public transport.