Kesselhaus Offenburg: Where Historic Walls Embrace Contemporary Culture

Deeply connected to his hometown and the familiar streets that defined his childhood and youth, Stefan Strumbel has lived in Offenburg his entire life. While he was attracted by the dynamic energy of larger cities and moved away for shorter periods, he ultimately returned to his birthplace, where he played a decisive role in shaping the local scene. A few years ago, when searching for a new atelier, the opportunity to acquire the Kesselhaus arose—”one of the last untouched gems in the city,” Strumbel shares in conversation with Ignant.

The history of the Kesselhaus dates back to 1857 when it was established as the energy center of the local weaving and spinning mill, housing steam boilers and turbines for generating electricity. In this role, the building has characterized the town’s industrial landscape for over 150 years. After Strumbel acquired the property, a three-year construction period followed, during which the building was revitalized and transformed into the new cultural centerpiece of the city that it is today. Since its reopening in May 2023, the Kesselhaus has become a hub where actors in cultural production have settled. In addition to Strumbel’s studio, it hosts a gallery space, a studio for art framing, offices of a film production company, a recording studio, and a restaurant.

At the heart of the building stands the former turbine hall, which now is Strumbel’s atelier. With seemingly never-ending ceilings and a glass front that spans its entire length, the space is flooded with natural light. Combining the industrial feel of a factory with the sacral ambiance of a church, the atmosphere here is majestic. Green tiles, partly preserved from the building’s original state and partly reconstructed, frame the atelier in a moss-colored hue. The tiles contrast with the rusty brown tones of the old chains and crane hooks that hang from the ceiling and lift a heavy pine cone sculpture created by the artist. While the space primarily functions as Strumbel’s atelier, it also frequently serves as a venue for events that bring together the local and international creative scene.

Next to the atelier, one finds the Katine, a casual, canteen-inspired restaurant that offers a regularly changing menu of modern dishes and drinks. “I have always dreamed of having an atelier with a restaurant connected to it. I believe that art and food complement each other and this region here, close to Alsace, has a particularly rich culinary tradition.” The interior of the canteen, designed by architects Glatz&Glatz, features peach-colored nuances across the walls, floor, and furniture. These shades are in dialogue with the patina preserved on some walls, creating a bridge between the past and the present. Throughout the space, artworks curated by Strumbel transform the canteen into an art gallery, thereby extending its original function.

The vibrant colors of the ground floor give way to brutalist architecture on the level below. In the building’s souterrain, clean-cut structures and matte concrete surfaces provide the backdrop for OG Projects, a gallery concept hosting exhibitions and events with contemporary artists.

On the upper level of the building, a movie production company and a sound studio further complement the creative environment. Meanwhile, the park in front of the Kesselhaus is set to be transformed into a sculpture park, offering a platform for artists and international galleries to showcase their works in annually changing exhibitions. “I’m grateful to share this space with such great people and feel fortunate that they were all up for bringing this space to life together,” the artist reflects.

Aside from its impact on the creative community in and around Offenburg, the Kesselhaus has also influenced Stefan Strumbel’s artistic practice. At the center of Strumbel’s work has always been his interest in the concept of Heimat—a German word charged with subjective meaning. While many might associate Heimat with their birthplace, for Strumbel, the term embodies feelings of love, joy, and belonging, as well as a determination to protect what one cherishes. To him, it is a profound sense of care that goes far beyond mere geographical boundaries.

In his earlier paintings and sculptures, Strumbel explored these sentiments by incorporating visual elements referencing rural symbolism, playing with a figurative understanding of Heimat. In recent years, however, he has shifted to a more abstract interpretation, opening up spaces that invite the viewers to question and define their own meaning of the term. While the change in approach to the subject began a while ago, the recent move to the new studio has also led to a formal transformation of Strumbel’s works. “The new atelier allows me to look at my work from a different perspective and with more distance. This makes my artwork grow in scale and challenges it to be strong enough to assert itself in such a big environment. It’s like the space itself becomes a passepartout of power. There is an incredible energy in here that manifests itself in countless ways.”

As we asked Strumbel about Offenburg’s role for him and the significance of the Kesselhaus within it, he responded, “A lot is going on in Offenburg, and I am inspired by the region’s nature and cuisine. Of course, when you want to create something new here, some things take a bit longer than in big cities, but there’s value in staying connected to your roots. Because, ultimately, if you want things to move forward, it’s worth staying and trying to make a difference.”