17.09.2026 | Open Monument Day at the sculpture workshop at kulturwerk des bbk berlin
Last weekend, the sculpture workshop at kulturwerk des bbk berlin opened its doors for Open Monument Day. Under this year's motto "NetzWERKE: Monuments & Infrastructure", our colleagues Doris and Nil offered guided tours through the historic building in Wedding.
About the historic building of the sculpture workshop
The sculpture workshop is located in the former Arnheim safe factory in Berlin's Wedding district. The S. J. Arnheim safe factory was founded in 1833 by master locksmith and royal court locksmith Simon Joel Arnheim. It was once the largest manufacturer of safes and vaults in Germany.
The distinctive shed halls with their characteristic sawtooth roofs were built in 1897/98 according to plans by architect Wilhelm Martens. The ensemble has been a listed monument since 1983.
In 1986, the sculpture workshop was established by bbk berlin with funding from the Berlin Senate in the listed former safe factory. This year, it celebrates its 40th anniversary, which will be marked with a major event next year.
Around 500 artists use the workshops each year, making the sculpture workshop a vital foundation for artistic production in Berlin. With a total usable area of 3,600 square metres and a maximum hall height of twelve metres, the sculpture workshop offers diverse working possibilities for artistic projects in metal, stone, wood, ceramics as well as plaster and moulding. Up to 30 artists can work simultaneously across the five workshop areas. Over a length of 160 metres, the individual halls are connected by a gallery that can also be used as a working space.
» Learn more about the sculpture workshop at kulturwerk des bbk berlin
Around 70 people took part in the guided tours. The sculpture workshop team is delighted by the great interest in this special site of Berlin's industrial history and its current use as an artistic workspace.
