Yenidze

A factory disguised as a mosque, the Yenidze is one of Dresden's most eccentric and beloved buildings, a former cigarette works whose glass dome and minaret-like chimneys rise unexpectedly near the Elbe just west of the old town. It is a monument to early advertising as much as to industry.

It was built between 1907 and 1909 for the tobacco manufacturer Hugo Zietz, whose Yenidze brand used tobacco from the town of that name in the Ottoman Balkans. City rules forbade a factory that looked like a factory in this prominent riverside spot, so the architect Martin Hammitzsch gave it the form of an oriental palace, complete with coloured tiles, a stained-glass dome and chimneys shaped as minarets. The exotic styling doubled as a giant billboard for its Eastern product.

Production ended long ago, and the building has since been converted to offices, with a restaurant and event space beneath the great illuminated dome, from which there are fine views over the city. In the evening the glowing cupola is a striking element of the Dresden skyline, particularly when seen from the river or the surrounding bridges.

The Yenidze stands a short walk from the Congress Center and the old town, close to the Elbe cycle path and the Marienbrücke. While the interior offices are private, the dome level is accessible to diners and event guests, and the exterior can be admired at any time. As a rare survivor of playful industrial architecture and a reminder of Dresden's manufacturing past, it offers a quirky contrast to the baroque splendour of the historic centre and is a favourite subject for photographers seeking something out of the ordinary.