Admiralspalast

The Admiralspalast on Friedrichstraße in Berlin-Mitte, opened on 24 December 1910 as an "ice palace" with a 25-by-50-metre ice rink, is one of the most multifaceted entertainment venues in the history of Berlin and one of the few large surviving buildings from the Wilhelmine era in the city centre. Designed by architects Heinrich Schweitzer and Alexander Diepenbrock in opulent Art Nouveau and Belle Époque style, the original ice palace also housed a Roman-style bath, a bowling alley, and a cinema in addition to its main attraction. In the 1920s the house was reshaped into a revue theatre, hosting the legendary Haller Revue and providing Marlene Dietrich, Hans Albers, and Fritzi Massary with one of their most important stages. After being severely damaged in the war, the building hosted the unification party congress of the SED in April 1946 and served as the substitute venue for the Berlin State Opera in East Berlin until 1955. During the GDR era it was used as the Metropol Theatre for operetta. A comprehensive renovation from 2004 to 2006 restored the Art Nouveau interior and reopened the venue as a multi-purpose stage: musicals, concerts, comedy, and the world premiere of "Mein Kampf" by George Tabori with a controversial Mehdi Charef production made headlines. Today the Admiralspalast offers approximately 1,800 seats across its main stage and operates additional smaller venues including the Studio and the Roman Bath as event spaces.