E-Werk (Cologne)
The E-Werk on Schanzenstrasse in Cologne-Mülheim is a former power station in the historicist style , which is a listed building and has been used as an event hall since 1991.
history
In 1903, the then still independent city of Mülheim planned a large power station due to the increasing demand for electrical energy, which was sold in the years 1904–1905 for 1.3 million marks by the Frankfurt company Elektrizitäts-AG formerly W. Lahmeyer & Co. was built. The power plant was supposed to provide light and power for the city: three-phase current with 5000 volts and direct current of 550–600 volts for the small railways . An office building on Schanzenstrasse, which was later demolished, also belonged to the electrical works.
When Mülheim was incorporated into Cologne in 1914, the owner of the power station also changed. Until 1930, electricity was generated here for the city of Cologne. The Felten & Guilleaume company then acquired the site. The hall was used as a production site for wire ropes and, from the 1950s, for chains . After that it was used as a warehouse until the roof was so badly damaged after a strong storm towards the end of November 1984 that demolition was even considered in the meantime. Although the building had already been rated as an outstanding technical monument in 1977, it was not entered in the list of monuments until 1986.
Current usage
At that time, Cologne hardly had any suitable locations for rock concerts, as the Müngersdorfer stadium or the sports hall were often too big and other locations too small. At the end of the 1980s, the members of the Cologne music group BAP decided to set up a new venue in Cologne and acquired the power station, which was in dire need of renovation. After two years of renovation and conversion for 5 million DM , they opened the event location "E-Werk" together with other partners from the Cologne entertainment industry in 1991. Since then, the red brick building has been used as a concert hall, discotheque and ballroom. Artists like Kylie Minogue , a-ha , blur , David Bowie , Die Ärzte , BB King , Joss Stone , Robbie Williams , Manic Street Preachers , Coldplay , Nena , Manowar , Motörhead , Green Day , Red Hot Chili Peppers , 187 Street Gang , Ziggy Marly and Arch Enemy have already performed there. But shows and company parties also take place here, for which the hall can be rented. The annual stunksitzung has been taking place here since 1991 , an alternative event to the established ceremonial meetings of the Cologne Carnival, peppered with satirizing swipes . There are regularly around 55,000 visitors on 50 evenings.
Today the E-Werk is operated jointly with the neighboring Palladium by Global Gastronomie- und Veranstaltungsgesellschaft mbH . After another renovation, the discotheque was closed in 2006. The E-Werk has a capacity of up to 2,000 visitors with a usable area of up to 1,630 m² (not including outdoor area).
Web links
Individual evidence
Coordinates: 50 ° 58 ′ 10.4 ″ N , 7 ° 0 ′ 59.1 ″ E