ExRotaprint, Cultural heritage monument in Gesundbrunnen, Germany.
ExRotaprint is the 10,000 m² former production site of the printing-machine manufacturer Rotaprint in Berlin-Gesundbrunnen. The listed complex centres on the large Betriebshof at Gottschedstraße 4 / Bornemannstraße 9–10, with the separate building at Wiesenstraße 29; the production halls in the block interior were demolished in 1992. The site is divided into three plots, the largest of which passed to a discount retailer in 2004.
Rotaprint's printing-machine works went bankrupt in 1989, after guarantees granted by the Berlin Senate in the 1980s brought the site into city ownership under district management. In 1991 the Betriebshof at Gottschedstraße 4 / Bornemannstraße 9–10 and the separate building at Wiesenstraße 29 were placed under strict monument protection; the production halls inside the block were demolished in 1992. In 2002 the land passed to the Liegenschaftsfonds Berlin for sale to the highest bidder, and in 2007 the tenants' initiative acquired the main plot.
ExRotaprint rents about a third of its space to artists, musicians and creative businesses, alongside commercial firms and social institutions. The tenants founded the non-profit owner themselves, and rental surpluses must go back into the site's charitable goals. The company also runs a canteen, two guest flats and a project room for events and conferences.
The site is best explored on foot by strolling through the neighboring streets and viewing the various buildings from street level. Dining options are available on-site for visitors to use between their explorations.
Architect Klaus Kirsten designed the main building with extensive glass surfaces that give it a theater-like appearance. This striking use of glass was notably innovative for a factory built in the 1950s.
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