Achilleion in Leipzig The Soviet Pavillion of the old trade fair

The old fair in Leipzig (Alte Messe) includes a collection of buildings converted to a supermarket, a gym, a furniture mall, and still many corners abandoned or on sale. The main landmark is represented by the Soviet Pavillon, an abandoned building with a tall golden pinnacle topped by a red star. The golden spike shines against the dark grey sky in winter, and appears in the background of the bar “La Playa”, a cast of fake sand and bungalow bars fenced in straw, animated by salsa parties during the summer. The building was used for some time in the past as a sport hall.

It is currently not accessible and there are no plans to renovate it in the next future. People walk in front of it on their way to the supermarket.

Chiara Barbieri

The history of the Old Trade Fair began in May 1913 with the International Architecture Exhibition. The opening took place in the presence of the King of Saxony. By 1928, there were seventeen halls, with a total of 130,000 m2 of exhibition space. By 1988, another eight halls had been added.  In 1996, the trade fair moved to the new exhibition site on the outskirts of Leipzig (Messegelände).

Worth visiting:

Messehalle 12
Built in 1923, the facade and interior were renovated between 1950 and 1952 in the style of 1930s Moscow architecture, transforming it into a Soviet pavilion with its distinctive tower.

Double M
The logo of the Leipzig Trade Fair is the “Double M”, which stands for “Muster Messe” (“Samples Trade Fair”). It was built in 1965 and is a listed historic monument. It marks one of the four main entrances to the Old Trade Fair.

Shyla Nicodemi