Leipzig: Underground Exhibition Hall

1924 – 1925

Architects: Otto Droge (Entrance Building), Carl Crämer (Exhibition Hall)

Markt 1, Leipzig, Germany

Designed by architect Carl Crämer, the underground exhibition hall at the market in downtown Leipzig was the world’s first underground exhibition building.

Leipzig Trade Fair

In 1919, the number of exhibitors at the Leipzig Trade Fair increased so much that it was decided to move underground in order to continue benefiting from the central location.

Excavation work for the underground exhibition hall began on May 28, 1924. Completed in time for the Leipzig Spring Fair in 1925, the hall provided space for 175 exhibitors in an area spanning 1,800 square meters.

Underground Exhibition Hall

The nine-bay, single-story, reinforced concrete hall had four aisles running lengthwise from the entrance building.

Exhibition booths of various sizes were located on either side of the aisles. The walls and columns inside the hall were plastered and the ceilings were sparsely painted.

The hall’s height decreased towards the east due to the marketplace’s slope.

Entrance Building

Designed by architect Otto Droge, the entrance building is made of Rochlitz porphyry tuff.

The entryway, which is a two-flight staircase without a roof, recedes slightly behind the historic buildings on the market square.

Renovation and Demolition

The underground exhibition hall was renovated from 1986 to 1988. In 2003, it was demolished as part of the Leipzig City Tunnel construction, except for the entrance building.

The entrance to the Markt S-Bahn station in Leipzig’s city center is located here today.