The Haus der Kulturen der Welt stands in Berlin's Tiergarten park and was formerly the Kongresshalle, a conference hall given by the United States. The American architect Hugh Stubbins designed it in 1957 as part of the Interbau exhibition. The site previously held Magnus Hirschfeld's Institut für Sexualwissenschaft. The building is now Germany's national center for international contemporary arts, with a focus on non-European cultures.
President John F. Kennedy spoke at a trade union meeting there during his June 1963 visit. On May 21, 1980, the roof collapsed, killing a journalist and injuring numerous people. The hall was rebuilt in its original style and reopened in 1987, for Berlin's 750th anniversary.
Henry Moore's bronze Large Divided Oval: Butterfly stands in a water basin outside. Pollution and vandalism damaged it, and it was restored in 2010. Berliners nicknamed the building the pregnant oyster.
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