between Lebuser Straße and Koppenstraße (north side)
Construction period: 1951, demolition: 1971/72
Architecture: Richard Paulick
Record construction speed – Demolition after just 20 years
Today, the site of the Deutsche Sporthalle is home to a residential high-rise in industrially prefabricated large panel construction.
Its imposing predecessor – the Deutsche Sporthalle by architect Richard Paulick – was built in 1951 on a large building site on the north side of Stalinallee that had been cleared of rubble. It was demolished just 20 years later due to its state of disrepair.
The Sporthalle was the first monumental building in the National Traditions style on Stalinallee. The opulent Neoclassical entrance building with an oval rotunda that could accommodate over 5,000 guests was designed to impress.
The prestigious building of the early days of the GDR was built for the third World Youth Games in East Berlin. Construction work started in March 1951 and the opening ceremony was held on 5 August. It was built in a record time of just 148 days.
The rushed construction of the multi-purpose hall, poor subsoil and re-use of rubble resulted in structural damage and, finally, in autumn 1971, to its demolition.