Exterior view of a historic building with large arched windows, complemented by a modern extension with a rhythmic pillar façade and evening lighting.

Revitalisation and Extension of the Congress Hall at Leipzig Zoo

Interior shot of a light-flooded dining area with high glass façades, integrated palm trees, benches and wooden flooring, creating a transparent, botanical atmosphere.

Exterior view of an elongated building with a vertical pillar façade, arched windows and a garden path in front, showing the connection between architecture and landscape.

Historic character restored with renewed presence

The revitalisation of the Congress Hall Leipzig combines the heritageappropriate restoration of historic halls with the addition of new event spaces. Across two construction phases, an ensemble has emerged that preserves history while enabling new uses. Today, 14 rooms are available for conferences, cultural events, and gastronomy, operated by Leipziger Messe. The Palmensaal complements the offer as a restaurant for the zoo.

At a glance

Revitalisation and extension involving complex heritage‑conservation planning

20 years of vacancy prior to reactivation

14 event rooms for conferences, culture, and gastronomy

5 halls in the new north wing added as a contemporary reinterpretation

9 halls restored in line with heritage requirements: Art Nouveau, Art Deco, post‑1946 modernism

Reactivation as a place of encounter

The Congress Hall was opened in 1900 as the social venue of the zoological garden. For decades, it served as a place for encounter, exchange, and, cultural diversity. After provisional repairs to wartime damage following the Second World War, the building remained in need of renovation and, after a fire in 1989, stood vacant for several years. In 2009, the City of Leipzig, together with Leipzig Zoo and Leipziger Messe, decided on a comprehensive refurbishment. The aim was to reestablish the historic ensemble as a contemporary venue.

New construction as a strengthening addition

The new north wing, added to the Congress Hall, embraces the two historic building volumes like a structural clasp. The listed main building remains entirely intact in its massing and clearly legible. Exposed concrete and glass characterise the façades of the new wing, and through design details and clear visual connections they create a relationship with the existing structure. The new architecture deliberately steps back, framing the historic fabric and enhancing its presence within the urban realm.

Design that creates coherence

The new Telemann Hall forms the connecting element between the historic main volumes in the socalled concert garden. The composition is completed by the Palmensaal. The new façades, featuring superimposed pointed arches, draw on historical motifs and reinterpret them in a clear, contemporary architectural language.

Revitalisation amid layers of time

The revitalisation required a sensitive approach to a complex building fabric. Transformed over many decades, the building brought together architectural layers from the era of its foundation onwards. The challenge lay in not smoothing out these historical traces but integrating them architecturally. Restoration decisions were made room by room: which layer should remain visible, which should be reconstructed, and which should be receded?

New spaces for new formats

The additional areas not only expand the spatial offering but also broaden the spectrum of potential uses from conferences to cultural events to gastronomic functions. The Congress Hall today is more than a venue: it is a place of exchange, participation, and encounter. The interplay between historic substance and contemporary architecture creates an environment that is locally rooted and internationally connected.

Project Profile

Project: Revitalisation & Extension of the Congress Hall at Zoo
Location: Leipzig
Client: Zoo Leipzig GmbH
GFA: 21.170 m²
Services: General planning, architecture, revitalization
Revitalization: 2015
Uses: Congress centre, gastronomy
Awards: Architecture Prize of the City of Leipzig 2015 – Honourable Mention; German Architects Building of the Year 2016

Interior shot of a high-ceilinged dining room with large windows, modern lighting, decorative wall surfaces and long seating arrangements that define an open dining area.

Interior view of a room with tall white pillars, glass façade and uniform daylighting, emphasising the vertical structure and transparency of the architecture.

Interior shot of a large event hall with tall windows, decorative wall reliefs and multi-armed chandeliers that emphasise the prestigious character of the room.

Interior view of a historic ballroom with richly ornamented stucco ceiling, large arched windows and geometric parquet flooring, which emphasise the listed features.

Interior view of a large hall with an ornate stage portal, side galleries and a light-coloured vaulted ceiling, which emphasise the historical interior design.

Close-up of a red-framed double door with glazed panels and sculpted relief decoration, showing the ornamental design of the hall area.

Interior view of a hall with curved galleries, elaborately designed wall reliefs and wooden flooring, showcasing the heritage value of the interior.