Theater - Municipal theaters: Decision in the location debate
The new building for Frankfurt's Städtische Bühnen is moving a little closer. The topic was on the agenda of the city council meeting on Thursday evening. The vote was on a proposal from the city council regarding the location. Even if the proposal is approved, it will still be a long time before construction work begins.
Frankfurt has been discussing the future of the municipal theatres for at least 15 years. The glass double structure on Willy-Brandt-Platz is dilapidated and cannot be saved - this has been clearly demonstrated by various studies since 2017. In 2020, the city councillors decided to demolish it. Opera and theater are to have separate buildings in the future - but the question is where these new buildings should go.
Where to put the new buildings?
The number of options dwindled over the years. A new building at Osthafen was soon rejected and the stages were to remain in the city center. Various sites were mentioned as options, such as the open space at Willy-Brandt-Platz, where the Euro sign stands, or a site opposite the Alte Oper.
In November, the city council decided that the opera house should be rebuilt at its current location and the theater a few hundred meters away on Neue Mainzer Strasse. This solution - in contrast to the "mirror variant" - was referred to as the "cultural mile". Head of Cultural Affairs Ina Hartwig (SPD) called the decision "a first milestone in the major stage project".
35 million euros for the site
There is now a bank on the site. If the city councillors give their approval, details will now be negotiated with the landowners - Hessische Landesbank and Sparkasse. The key points were already negotiated in a preliminary agreement in the summer: The city will be allowed to lease the approximately 5500 square meter site for 199 years and will pay a one-off fee of 35 million euros plus just under two million for each year.
However, this is only a fraction of the costs: an expert commission had already estimated the total costs at 1.27 to 1.3 billion euros at the beginning of this year - 350 million euros more than at the time when the debate on the variants began.
Start of construction in four years at the earliest
Construction is not expected to start quickly. The bank building cannot be demolished until 2027 at the earliest. Once the sites have been secured, an architectural competition must first be held. The city councillors will still have to deal with the project many times - above all with the question of how it is to be financed.
During the construction work, the theater and opera need interim solutions. The current schedule envisages that the new theater will be built first. After completion, this will serve as an interim venue for the opera until the new building is finished. The theater will not be able to manage without interim quarters either.
The master plan also provides for the stages to have a new storage and logistics center. At present, materials are scattered around the city and stored in different locations. A location for this central warehouse is still being sought. An open space of around 700 square meters is to be created next to the new Schauspielhaus.
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- The decision regarding the new building for Frankfurt's Städtische Bühnen affects not just Frankfurt, but also its neighboring municipalities in Hesse, as they operate collectively in the theater scene.
- Frankfurt on the Main's municipal theaters have a significant role in the cultural life of Hesse, and the construction of a new theater building is a step towards securing their future in the city.
- The proposed new building for the Frankfurt Opera and Theater will not only include a new structure, but also a new storage and logistics center, ensuring efficient operations and reducing the scattered storage locations in the city.
- In the future, Frankfurt's Theater and Opera may attract more international productions and artists, as the new buildings will contribute to the city's reputation as a major cultural hub in Germany and Europe.
Source: www.stern.de
