Stadthalle Rostock

The Stadthalle Rostock does not look like a place built to house a sport.

When the basketball team, the Rostock Seawolves, take to the parquet, the floor is surrounded by 4,550 seats. For a handball match, the capacity shrinks to 3,000. The concrete floor, replaced in 2017, is a blank canvas that accepts whatever surface the occasion demands.

The renovation completed in 2018 added 5 meters to the height of the main hall, a structural adjustment that allowed the venue to accommodate larger concerts. It is owned by the City of Rostock and has hosted everything from the European Judo Championships in 1982 to television productions like “Wetten, dass..?” in the 1990s. It does not play host to history so much as it accommodates it. When the lights go down and the crowd fills the stands, the building simply becomes a room where people gather.