Zollverein colliery - a symbol of change
The Zollverein World Heritage Site - a landmark of the Ruhr region, a monument to industrial culture and a symbol of change - is known far beyond the borders of the Ruhr region. After the Zollverein colliery was shut down in 1986 and placed under a preservation order, it was given a new lease of life with the International Building Exhibition (IBA) Emscher Park and its subsequent designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2001. This designation ensured the preservation of the old colliery buildings as a monument and at the same time called for an innovative concept for their new use.
Conversion, redesign and new construction
The EU and the state of North Rhine-Westphalia have funded numerous Zollverein conversion projects in various funding phases since the 1990s. These included the conversion of the coal washing plant, the redesign of the Zollverein Park and the new construction of the SANAA building. These were three essential building blocks for opening up the industrial complex with a tourist infrastructure for future visitors and creating a student campus for design training. Since then, Zollverein has been a symbol of structural change in the Ruhr region with its double trestle headframe.
