The History

Built in 1904 by the businessman Adolf Jandorf, the building first became known as the "Warenhaus am Weinberg" (Department store on the Weinberg). The plan drawn up by the architects Lachmann & Zauber skillfully combines the building's corner location with the presence of a splendid department store, the majority of which were destroyed in the Second World War. With his early department store buildings, Adolf Jandorf (1870-1932) was among the pioneers of the modern department store based on the American model.

The building, which was taken over by the Tietz Retail Group back in the 1920s, was designed with a steel skeleton construction, a system whose flexibility has made possible the conversion to a highly-modern, multi-functional building. Each of the newly-designed rooms can be integrated into the rhythmical layout of the beams with no problem at all.

During the period of the German Democratic Republic (GDR), the building became home to a fashion institute. The "House of Fashion" was well known for decades, its fame even spreading way beyond Berlin's city limits.

The building's exterior has now been fully renovated and restored in a manner worthy of an historical monument. The work was carried out with the aim of transforming the object into a congress and conference center. In collaboration with advisors, a new concept was designed (approved by the authorities) aimed at fulfilling the demands of the new, modern function, while maintaining the building's unique architectural characteristics. The result means that the building will retain its distinctive atmosphere while also receiving a breath of new life through its new purpose.