Thursday, October 29, 2015


Centennial Hall in Wrocław


The Centennial Hall, a landmark in the history of reinforced concrete architecture, was erected in 1911-1913 by the architect Max Berg as a multi-purpose recreational building, situated in the Exhibition Grounds. In form it is a symmetrical quatrefoil with a vast circular central space that can seat some 6,000 persons. The 23m-high dome is topped with a lantern in steel and glass. The Centennial Hall is a pioneering work of modern engineering and architecture, which exhibits an important interchange of influences in the early 20th century, becoming a key reference in the later development of reinforced concrete structures.

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1165


The Centennial Hall in Wroclaw is a multi-purpose recreational building that is a landmark in the history of reinforced concrete architecture. It was built in 20 months during the years 1911-1913, when the city (then named Breslau) was part of Germany. The Hall had the largest dome of the world of its time, with a diameter of 65 meter (50% larger than the size of the Pantheon). The use of steel and concrete for such a large construction was considered both revolutionary and daring, and officials and workers were concerned for safety issues.

The Hall was built to the plans of Max Berg. An important city like Wroclaw felt the need to have a prestigious location to hold exhibitions and fairs. So the Centennial Hall was built to commemorate the 100th anniversary of victory over Napoleon in the Liberation Wars of 1813-15. The core area also includes the exhibition grounds of Wroclaw, and therefore (like the Royal Exhibition Building in Melbourne) is an outstanding example of modern recreational architecture. 

http://www.worldheritagesite.org/sites/centennialhall.html

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