The U-Tower or Dortmunder U is a former brewery building in the city of

Dortmund Dortmund (; Westphalian nds, Düörpm ; la, Tremonia) is the third-largest city in North Rhine-Westphalia after Cologne and Düsseldorf, and the eighth-largest city of Germany, with a population of 588,250 inhabitants as of 2021. It is the la ...

, Germany. Since 2010 it has served as a centre for the arts and creativity, housing among other facilities the

Museum Ostwall The Museum Ostwall (known as Museum am Ostwall until 2010) is a museum of modern and contemporary art in Dortmund, Germany. It was founded in the late 1940s, and has been located in the Dortmund U-Tower since 2010. The collection includ ...

.Neville Walker, Christian Williams, James Stewart - The Rough Guide to Germany 1848362536- 2009 - Page 655 "Though the old Union brewery with its giant illuminated “U” still looms on the skyline, it's overshadowed by the city's funky new skyscrapers ..."

History

It was the first high-rise built in Dortmund, between 1926 and 1927. The Union Brewery used this building for the fermentation and storage of their products. In 1994 the brewery and all its surrounding buildings were closed and demolished; only the Dortmund U-Tower was spared due to having landmark status. In January 2008 the Dortmund U-Tower was decided to be redeveloped as a flagship project for the "Ruhr 2010 – Cultural Capital of Europe". Today it is considered one of Dortmund's central places, in which creative catering and event facilities are offered.

Today

The Dortmunder U shows artworks from 20th and 21st centuries, develops innovative concepts of cultural education in the digital age, initiates partnerships between art and science, and cooperates with different players in the context of creative industries. As a centre of international calibre in

North Rhine-Westphalia North Rhine-Westphalia (german: Nordrhein-Westfalen, ; li, Noordrien-Wesfale ; nds, Noordrhien-Westfalen; ksh, Noodrhing-Wäßßfaale), commonly shortened to NRW (), is a state (''Land'') in Western Germany. With more than 18 million inha ...

it is a partner for regional as well as international projects and collaborates with other international institutions in the interdisciplinary field. The "U" will embody an innovative practice at the intersection of art, research, creativity, cultural education and economy. It is a public place for research and study as well as for the experience and the discourse over art, media and today's culture for all citizens and ages. The "U" is based on a cooperation of diverse users of the U-Tower building: the

, the Hartware MedienKunstVerein, the Cultural Office of the City of

, the Dortmund University of Applied Sciences and Arts, the

TU Dortmund University TU Dortmund University (german: Technische Universität Dortmund) is a technical university in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany with over 35,000 students, and over 6,000 staff including 300 professors, offering around 80 Bachelor's an ...

, the European centre for creative economy (ecce) and the association U Cinema, operating the RWE Forum. Culinary offerings are provided for on the U7 floor by the restaurant View. The Dortmunder U opened in the framework of

RUHR.2010 Ruhr.2010 – Kulturhauptstadt Europas was the name of the campaign in Germany's Ruhr region that earned it recognition as a European Capital of Culture in 2010. This was the first time a region was considered, as Essen represented all 53 towns ...

– European Capital of Culture.

Photo gallery

Image:Dortmunder U_2007.jpg, Dortmunder U-Tower with roof construction Image:Union-Brauerei Dortmund.jpg, Dortmunder U-Tower at dawn Image:Dortmunder U und Verwaltungsbau.JPG, The formation of a new urban quarter

References

External links

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Information for visitors
''outdated'' Buildings and structures in Dortmund Arts centres in Germany Tourist attractions in North Rhine-Westphalia Buildings and structures completed in 1927 {{NorthRhineWestphalia-struct-stub