Internationales Congress Centrum Berlin

The Internationales Congress Centrum Berlin (abbreviated ICC Berlin), located in the Westend locality of the Berlin borough of Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf, is one of the largest conference centres in Germany. It is used for conventions, theatrical productions and concerts. In April 2014, it was closed in order to remove asbestos contamination, and remains closed as of 2025.^[update]^[2] In October 2021, it was temporarily reopened for the art project The Sun Machine Is Coming Down as part of the Berliner Festspiele.^[3]^[4]

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Quick Facts General information, Architectural style ...

Internationales Congress Centrum Berlin
ICC Berlin

General information
Architectural style	High-tech
Address	Messedamm 22, 14055 Berlin, Germany
Construction started	1975^[1]
Opened	1979
Closed	2014
Height	40 m (130 ft)^[1]
Technical details
Material	Concrete, steel, glass
Design and construction
Architect(s)	Ursulina Schüler-Witte and Ralf Schüler
Other information
Public transit access	Berlin Messe Nord/ICC
Website
icc.berlin/en/

Overview

Construction of ICC Berlin began in 1975 and it opened in 1979 (three years after the opening of the Palace of the Republic), and its architects were Ursulina Schüler-Witte and Ralf Schüler. It is 313 metres (1,027 ft) long, 80 m (260 ft) wide and 40 m (130 ft) tall.^[1] It is linked to the neighboring Messe Berlin fairgrounds; often joining in trade shows and exhibitions.

As perhaps Europe's biggest such centre, it was instrumental to Berlin being one of the top congress cities in the world. It is serviced by S-Bahn station Berlin Messe Nord/ICC. By its own reckoning, ICC Berlin is a landmark of post-war German architecture and has served as an inspiration for similar facilities around the globe.

The current ICC is contaminated by asbestos.^[5] Its removal will cost much more than the originally planned 259 million Euro.^[6]

In popular culture

The ICC features prominently in the 1980 disco musical The Apple, in which it appears as a futuristic concert venue. Many of the film's exterior and interior scenes were filmed in and around the building.^[7]

The American rock band Grateful Dead played two concerts in the main hall at the ICC as part of their Europe tour in 1990. The concerts were on 19 and 20 October.^[8]

The 2009 film The International was partly filmed in the interior of the ICC.

The pedestrian tunnel was used as a set for popular dance track "Around the World (La La La La La)" by German Eurodance group ATC in 1999.

It appears in Wim Wenders' 1987 film Wings of Desire.^[9]

References

[1]
"ICC - Internationales Congress Centrum Berlin". Visit Berlin. Retrieved 23 January 2025.
[2]
Messe-Berlin.com: ICC
[3]
"The Sun Machine Is Coming Down" (in German). Berliner Festspiele. 2021. Archived from the original on 7 October 2021. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
[4]
"The Sun Machine Is Coming Down: Art at the ICC". Gallery Weekend Berlin. 2021. Retrieved 23 January 2025.
[5]
"Asbest im ganzen ICC Sanierung erheblich teurer" [Asbestos throughout the ICC remediation is significantly more expensive]. Berliner Morgenpost (in German). 17 September 2009. Archived from the original on 4 August 2012.
[6]
"ICC Sanierung deutlich teurer als geplant" [ICC renovation significantly more expensive than planned]. Berliner Morgenpost (in German). 12 May 2010. Archived from the original on 25 March 2012.
[7]
"The Apple Movie Filming Locations". Fast Rewind. Retrieved 23 January 2025.
[8]
"Grateful Dead Live at Internationales Congress Centrum on 1990-10-19". Internet Archive. Retrieved 23 January 2025.
[9]
"Wings of Desire (Der Himmel Über Berlin) 1987". Movie Locations. Retrieved 23 January 2025.

External links