Seifenfabrik Graz

The Veranstaltungszentrum Seifenfabrik is a multi-purpose venue in Graz, standing on the left bank of the Mur river just above the new Puchsteg bridge. Its red-brick factory halls date back to 1872 and were designed by architect Georg Niemann. The complex includes a tall, free-standing chimney and a ring-shaped earthen bank that now serves as a seating area. The site has a colourful past as a faecal-extract factory, changing owners frequently after complaints about smells. By 1946 it had become a soap factory owned by H. G. Lettner & Söhne KG. After closure in 1997, artists used the high rooms for training until 2003, when renovation created today’s centre. The Jugendstil expansion of 1916 and wartime bomb damage add layers to its history. Inside, four main areas connect: a new foyer links the timber-roofed Fachwerkhalle to the Markthalle. The Markthalle features exposed steel ceilings, while the adjoining Extraktionshalle and Heizhaus share 350 square metres. Upstairs are two seminar rooms. The whole site covers 32,500 square metres, with 1,950 square metres of indoor event space set among the old industrial structures.