In the 1960s, adult education became increasingly relevant to the public interest in Germany. This is how the building project for an adult education center (Volkshochschule = VHS) for the city of Mülheim an der Ruhr got underway in 1969. Four architectural teams were invited to take part in the competition in 1972, of which the group consisting of Seidenstricker, Spantzel, Teich, Budde, Gutsmann, Jung came out on top. The design was further developed and implemented by Dietmar Teich. Construction took from 1976 to 1979.

The building is integrated into a slope with a view of the city center. It can be accessed from Bergstrasse via open staircases. These lead staggered over staggered platforms, past several planters and past the aluminum sculpture “Bewegung und Gegenbewegung” (1979) by artist Karl Prasse to the likewise staggered structure of the VHS. The reinforced concrete building develops over an irregular ground plan adapted to the topography of the site into a multi-terraced building with sections of one, two, three and four storeys. Displaced storeys create readable spatial units that can be assigned to the different teaching areas of gymnastics, handicrafts, natural sciences and electronics. A color coding system helps with orientation.

The façade alternates between light and dark zones that emphasize the horizontal, created by the use of white concrete parapets made of prefabricated elements and bands of dark-framed windows. Sculptural qualities regarding the building’s shape are created by stairwell shafts projecting over flat roofs with beveled ends and concrete exhaust pipes in the form of slanted, slotted cylinders.

The southern side façade has a provisional finish: It is an abrupt termination of the structure, due to a planned second section with a studio theater that was not caried out.

In 2016, the building was recognized by the Office for the Preservation of Monuments as an valuable example of the Volkshochschule building type and thus as a monument in terms of its architectural and urban historical significance for Mülheim an der Ruhr. In February 2017, it was officially listed as a heritage protected building. However, the building has been closed since 2017 due to fire safety regulations and has been empty ever since. The VHS activities have been relocated to rented premises on Aktienstraße.

On October 6, 2019, 18,022 citizens (66%) voted in favor of renovating the building in a referendum. However, this result was futile: at a council meeting in December 2019, the refurbishment of the VHS was canceled again. A citizens' initiative is campaigning to save the building. In April 2024, however, Lord Mayor Buchholz was unimpressed by a petition signed by 1528 people calling for the renovation project to be resumed. The future of the building is currently uncertain (last updated on August 9, 2024).