Renovation postponed
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Photo: Achim Kukulies
The city of Düsseldorf announced on January 28, 2026, that the renovation of the Kunsthalle, planned for summer 2026, will be postponed by three years. This short-term decision has immediate and noticeable effects on the work of all users of the building (Kunsthalle Düsseldorf, Kunstverein für die Rheinlande und Westfalen, Kom(m)ödchen, Buchhandlung Walther König, Salon des Amateurs, Goldbeck Parking Services).
The renovation of the building has been urgent for a long time. Many structural elements date back to the building’s construction in the 1960s, and numerous necessary technical systems are outdated and, in some cases, beyond repair. If these fail, as was the case with the building’s emergency lighting in November 2025, we have to close the building or resort to temporary solutions. In addition, the building is not accessible, is not energy-efficient, and has been severely damaged in parts by decades of vandalism.
The previous postponements of the start of the renovation have already made long-term program planning considerably more difficult. The renewed postponement now requires a thorough adjustment of the previous planning. We are currently working on a short-term restructuring of our program starting in March 2026.
We had planned a farewell event for March 2026 called “Bye Bye Grabbeplatz!”, for which around 130 Düsseldorf artists and collectives had applied. From April 2026, our move out of the building and our three-year interim program “The Kunsthalle Düsseldorf is closing. Welcome to the opening!” were to take place throughout Düsseldorf. We were delighted to receive numerous invitations and requests for collaboration from Düsseldorf institutions, clubs and artists who wanted to shape the next three years together with us. We looked forward to this programmatic and formal opening of the Kunsthalle with great anticipation.
Further information will follow shortly.
We thank you for your support and look forward to spending time with you again soon.
The team of Kunsthalle Düsseldorf
