Located between the listed Staatenhaus, the Tanzbrunnen and the Rheinpark, the site has been an important cultural destination for decades. The new building continues this tradition and adds a further public element that connects culture, architecture and the urban realm.
The building envelope derives its identity from its immediate context. A continuous metal façade with a finely articulated vertical structure references elements of the historic architecture of the Staatenhaus and translates them into a contemporary architectural language. While the building appears as a clearly defined volume during the day, its character changes in the evening. Transparent areas of the façade reveal views into the illuminated foyer, allowing the building itself to become a luminous point of orientation within the urban landscape.
The interior is defined by a spacious foyer. Open staircases and galleries connect the different levels and create a variety of visual relationships throughout the building. The public realm continues into the interior, turning the experience of being in the building into a spatial experience even before the performance begins.
The auditorium, with seating for up to 1,800 people, is designed to meet the requirements of international musical theatre productions. State-of-the-art stage, media and event technology provides a high degree of scenic flexibility and creates the conditions required for productions at an international standard. The result is a theatre that strengthens this historic cultural location while making a forward-looking contribution to the development of Cologne on the eastern bank of the Rhine.
