The Flottmann Halls – a listed industrial five-naved building erected in 1905 – is an architectural rarity in North Rhine Westphalia with its mix of art nouveau and new objectivity elements. It has been a centre for theatre, sport, music and fine art since 1986.

The themes of the exhibitions change with projects that use the exhibition rooms in their installation providing the main focus. Exhibitions are created foremost in and for the location. The resulting symbiosis between artwork and space creates a very open approach to dealing with artistic ideas and high-risk experiments.

Exhibitions such as "Fabrik" (Factory) by Max Scholz, "Areal" by Reiner Seliger, "Übersicht" (Overview) by Jiri Hilmar and "Schlangenverstülper" by Georg Meissner have repeatedly created new interpretations of the space.

HD Schrader used the Flottmann Halls’ hardscaping in his "Cubecracks" exhibition as early as 1995. He placed five of his red cube cracks in the public arena to create an imaginary connection between the city gallery and the Flottmann Halls. One is still standing in close proximity to the Flottmann Halls.

Heinrich Brockmeier’s two-part sculpture "Zeit des Schweigens" (Time of Silence) has been stretched across the outer wall of the building since 2004. In the same year, Peter Schwickerath became the first artist to display his work solely in the outside space. His work "Stahlschnitt" (Steel Cut) emphasises the entrance axis.

These pieces form the foundation for the newly designed sculpture park surrounding the Flottmann Halls. An 11 hectare green space has been created through a redesign of the outer area. The existing works will be integrated into the space and further pieces will be added in the coming years. Areas have been created for temporary exhibitions.