The SCHIRN is located in the center of the city, right next to the “Neue Altstadt.” Designed by the renowned architectural firm Bangert, Jansen, Scholz & Schultes and opened in 1986, the building impresses with its simple elegance and is now listed as a protected ensemble. It is a 150-meter-long, narrow building with a natural stone façade, interrupted by the striking Rotunda, which serves as a public meeting space. The distinctive building complex, over 150 meters long, just 10 meters wide, and equally high, houses an exhibition area of around 2,000 m². The structure with its unique natural stone façade is divided in half by the publicly accessible Rotunda. Until 2012, the architecture of the SCHIRN also included the so-called “Table,” a square platform on tall pillars located next to the SCHIRN Café.