State theatre - Design for stage at Congress Hall confirmed
The plans for a replacement venue for the Nuremberg State Theatre at the Congress Hall are now set. The city council approved, according to a spokesperson, with a large majority the proposal of the architectural firm LRO Lederer + Ragnarsdottir + Oei from Stuttgart in the evening.
The committee followed with its vote behind closed doors accordingly and unanimously the recommendation of the Opera House Commission. Before that, the city council had already agreed on the costs for financing the entire cultural area at the Congress Hall. In the round building, besides rooms for the State Theatre on over 7000 square meters, ateliers, workshops, and event spaces for the free arts and cultural scene are to be created.
The chosen design convinced the State Intendant Jens-Daniel Herzog above all for its functionality. It does not significantly affect the perception of the Congress Hall torso and also takes on an opposing position.
Construction work is to begin in 2025.
The costs for the entire project were estimated by the city council at 211 million Euros. According to the resolution, they could rise to around 296 million Euros. Above all, the costs for the temporary quarters of the State Theatre and the replacement venue exceed the forecasts significantly.
The reasons, among other things: rising construction prices and an extended utilization period of the venue, which has consequences for the quality of the construction. Initially, only ten years were planned, but it is now supposed to be at least 25 years.
The costs for the expansion building with the selected offer amount to approximately 85.5 million Euros.
75% of the costs are to be covered by the Free State. The construction work is to begin according to the plans in the coming year. The State Theatre could move into the Congress Hall in 2028.
Sanitation of the Opera House will take many years
The historical Opera House in the city center is run-down and therefore cannot be operated anymore soon. A sanitation will take many years. Therefore, Opera and Ballet are to receive a temporary venue in the courtyard of the Congress Hall. This should also remain for music and theatre after the return of the State Theatre to the Opera House.
The Congress Hall is part of the former NS Reichsparteitagsgelände. 50,000 people were supposed to cheer for the NS Greats there during their speeches. However, the monumental building was never completed due to the Second World War. Only a horseshoe-shaped torso exists, which was later supposed to house stairs and dressing rooms. Today, the building is mainly a symbol for the failure of the Nazis and their megalomania.
- The architectural firm Lederer + Ragnarsdottir + Oei, based in Stuttgart, Germany, was chosen to design the replacement venue for the Stuttgart State Theatre at the Congress Hall in Nuremberg.
- The committee, operating behind closed doors, unanimously agreed with the recommendation of the Opera House Commission to choose this design from the Bavarian firm.
- The temporary venue for the State Theatre during the renovation period will be located in the courtyard of the Congress Hall, serving as a venue for opera, ballet, and music performances.
- The Congress Hall, a significant part of the former NS Reichsparteitagsgelände, was initially intended to house 50,000 people; however, due to the Second World War, it was never fully completed, leaving only a horseshoe-shaped torso with unbuilt stairs and dressing rooms.
- The operator of the historical Opera House in the city center, run-down and no longer operational, will require many years to sanitize and bring it back into use.
