After an intensive planning phase, the starting signal for the modernisation was given at Messe Essen today. Together, Essen's Lord Mayor Thomas Kufen and the boss of the fair company Oliver P. Kuhrt opened the new Info Pavilion as a symbol for the start of the construction. Thus, the work on the New Messe Essen has begun officially. In the first construction phase, a glass foyer covering 2,000 m² and thus the new visiting card of Messe Essen will be created in the East entrance area. Inside the site, attention will focus on the clear, single-storey structuring of the halls and on the technical modernisation.
The New Messe Essen will be characterised by open, functional architecture, simple orientation, flexible logistics and modern technology. "With the beginning of construction today, a fair site which will be one of the most modern anywhere in Germany is being created at the Essen location," commented Thomas Kufen, Lord Mayor of the City of Essen. "I am very glad that we are consolidating the location advantages of our city with this project and can present ourselves to guests from all over the world as an attractive marketplace."
The modernisation concept is concentrating on the demands of exhibitors and visitors. "We have listened to our customers carefully and are implementing their expectations for a contemporary fair site in a consistent way," explained Oliver P. Kuhrt, CEO of Messe Essen. "Thanks to modern architecture, a spacious, single-storey hall structure with simple path guidance and high technical standards, Messe Essen will offer perfect conditions for both trade and consumer fairs in the future."
In detail, the concept makes provision for the clear structuring of the halls. Thus, 18 sometimes small-scale halls will now be turned into eight large halls in total. That will simplify the orientation and the logistics and will also offer completely new possibilities to the booth construction. For example, all the halls will permit even two-storey booth construction in the future.
The architectonic highlight of the New Messe Essen will be created in the first construction phase. The modern glass foyer covering around 2,000 m² in the East entrance area will be an inviting starting point into the day at the fair and will be linked directly to the underground railway by its distinctive, deep-projecting canopy. The completion of the foyer in the late autumn of 2017 will form the conclusion to the first construction phase and will provide an occasion for a large opening gala which Messe Essen will celebrate with numerous invited guests.
New conference and congress rooms which will have various sizes, will be equipped with the newest event technology and will meet the growing demand for conference space will then be connected to the foyer.
Moreover, the conversion will encompass the energy supply and the air conditioning so that the newest ventilation technology will ensure a stable temperature and a high air quality across various halls. After the complete modernisation in the autumn of 2019, the entire fair site will be on a uniformly high technical level.
The new appearance of Messe Essen will be rounded off by the setting-up of a VIP Lounge with its own entrance and separate access road. Here, visitors will have the opportunity to retreat into an appealing ambience for discussions or simply to take a timeout away from the hustle and bustle of the fair.
Anybody who would already like to take a look into the new VIP Lounge or the new foyer today is being cordially invited to visit the Info Pavilion of Messe Essen. Here, any interested people will not only learn everything worth knowing about all the aspects of the modernisation but also be able to take a virtual trip through the New Messe Essen. The Info Pavilion is located opposite the Grugahalle in the P1 car park and is open from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Wednesdays as well as from 12 noon to 3 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. The visit is free of charge.
On its website, Messe Essen is also providing information about the individual construction phases, the construction logistics concept, the guided tours of the fair site and much more.
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