Rathaus

Rathaus stands in Dortmund beside Friedensplatz, with a square plan, reddish granite, and a main entrance facing the square. Two steel portals recall the city’s history as a steel city. The wheelchair-accessible building frames Friedensplatz beside the Altes Stadthaus, whose paving echoes the geometry of its layout.

Built between 1987 and 1989, the modern city hall answered inadequate civic spaces and a council chamber in the old Stadthaus. A competition selected Dieter Kälberer’s design from 28 entries. Construction began in January 1987, and completion was marked by a public celebration in June 1989. The project served as a symbol of civic pride and renewal during economic challenges.

At its centre, a 28-metre Bürgerhalle rises beneath a glass dome and leads to exhibitions about Dortmund’s history. A café occupies the ground floor. A double staircase reaches the parliamentary level, where the council chamber has 138 seats and an outward-bulging glass façade. Up to 140 spectators can view meetings from a second-floor gallery, while four meeting rooms occupy the first floor. Locals sometimes call the granite building a large “beer crate.”