KUNSTpavillon Eisenach, Exhibition hall in Eisenach, Germany.
The KUNSTpavillon is an exhibition building at Wartburgallee in Eisenach featuring large window sections and original stone tiles inside. Located opposite the Kartausgarten, it now serves as a space for rotating art exhibitions and cultural events.
The exhibition hall was built in 1967 to a design by architect Günter Werrmann of Eisenach and opened on 27 October 1967 as the Wartburgpavillon, a permanent display of cars from the Eisenach automobile factory. After the car exhibition moved out in 1994, the building stood empty until sculptor Peter Schäfer initiated its rescue; from 2007 it was used for contemporary art, and in 2013 it received monument status.
The building is classed as a document of so-called East Modernism, with references to Walter Gropius and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. Much of the interior survives from the vehicle exhibition, including stone mosaic surfaces, panels, floor slabs, a turntable and furniture. Sculptor Peter Schäfer and the Zentrum für Gegenwartskunst e.V. run a non-commercial cultural programme here.
The pavilion stands at Wartburgallee 47 in Eisenach's Südviertel, opposite the Kartausgarten with its Wandelhalle; the ruin of the former Kurhotel Fürstenhof rises on the slope to the east. The building is surrounded by a green area with modern sculptures. Exhibitions, cabaret and blues or jazz concerts run at changing times, so check the current programme before setting out.
As a vehicle museum, the building drew roughly three million visitors by 1994 and was a popular local destination. This high attendance shows how strongly people connected the site with the region's car manufacturing history.
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