Staatstheater Karlsruhe
Germany

Cultural
Refurbishment

Under Construction

„The Badisches Staatstheater Karlsruhe is one of the most successful multi-stage venues in Germany. It has risen like a phoenix from the ashes of a major fire in a completely new form and location on more than one occasion. Given its significant location in the heart of Karlsruhe and its striking appearance, the building is firmly anchored in the identity of the city. DMAA’s expansion and refurbishment concept adopts the key elements of the existing architecture from the 1970s and develops these further in the spirit of the original design by Helmut Bätzner. After operating for 50 years, the need to make the building fully accessible and update its technical infrastructure had become increasingly urgent. These requirements provided the starting point for a generally more up-to-date and accessible overall concept that is bringing together all the venues of the Badisches Staatstheater as well as the rehearsal capacities and workshops at its central location.

The building work is being realised in three modules while the complex continues to operate. Module 1 involves the expansion of the Staatstheater towards the west, where the former ticket hall is being replaced by a playhouse. Other elements of the first module alongside this new smaller theatre are the Junges Staatstheater (for children and young people), studio and workshop stages with corresponding rehearsal spaces and a publically accessible restaurant zone. In Module 2, the complex will be enlarged to the north with music-related spaces and new rehearsal rooms for opera and ballet, the orchestra and the choir. During the concluding Module 3, the main auditorium (the opera house) will be refurbished, the foyer enlarged and essential workshop areas added to the south.

Address
Baumeisterstraße 11
76137 Karlsruhe
Germany

Competition
2015 [1st prize]

Floor area
32,000 m²

Gross surface area
52,000 m²

Construction volume
305,000 m³

Site area
37,100 m²

Number of levels
5

Number of basements
1

Project team [competition]
Bernd Heger, Sebastian Brunke, Bogdan Hambasan, Thomas Peter-Hindelang

Project manager
Bernd Heger, Sebastian Michalski

Project team
Andreea Birzu, Magdalena Czech, Gregor Doblinger, Daniela Hensler, Bruno Jankovic, Antonella Amesberger, Lukas Gschweitl, Michael Lohmann, Toni Nachev, Julia Oblitcova, Diogo Teixeira

IN COOPERATION WITH
Wenzel + Wenzel Architekten

CONSULTANTS
Construction management
Wenzel + Wenzel Architekten

Client
Land Baden- Württemberg
Stadt Karlsruhe
Das Neue Staatstheater

The spirit of Helmut Bätzner’s original competition design is embodied by a tent-like roof landscape that is being stretched across all the elements of the ensemble, old and new.

Scale architectural model of a modern white building with sweeping, sculptural roofs on a reflective base in a dark studio.

competition model Helmut Bätzner

Helmut Bätzner and a model for the new building of Badisches Staatstheater

competition model DMAA

The spirit of Helmut Bätzner’s original competition design is embodied by a tent-like roof landscape that is being stretched across all the elements of the ensemble, old and new. The new fly tower of the playhouse and its counterpart, the tower of the opera house, form the two high points of the complex. They are recognisable from far and wide and hint at the importance of the centrepieces of the Staatstheater that are located directly below them.

The alignment of the edges of this roof landscape with the roof heights of the neighbouring buildings recodes the striking motif as an icon while, at the same time, sensitively integrating it into the cityscape. This creates the impression of a textile covering, which recalls a free hanging ‘stage curtain’ and is continued in the perforated structure of the upper part of the new facade.

Architectural cross-section of a modern building with a curved roof, showing interior levels and people.

section Großes Haus

north elevation (competition)

south elevation (competition)

The façade will have a significant impact on the appearance of the architecture within the city; once the refurbishment is complete, it will link the existing building with the extensions, thereby creating a unified structure.

module structure

in the stage tower at the Kleines Haus

A further key aspect of DMAA’s design concept is the sensitive approach to the existing, historically significant interiors in parts of the theatre. The architectural language and features of the main auditorium are retained. The original design elements with their sculptural qualities are also retained in the core areas of the foyer and reinterpreted as part of the smooth transformation into transition zones. The new areas merge seamlessly with the existing and position themselves clearly as contemporary elements that carry the signature of DMAA.

Contemporary concrete atrium with circular metallic chandeliers, a curved white staircase, and visitors walking on a dark wood floor.

Foyer

Modern concrete lobby featuring a double wooden staircase; professionals converse.

Modern gallery lobby with wooden floor; person in black dress standing in foreground; groups converse in background; vertical light slats at left.

Presenter in a suit on a stage in a modern corporate lobby; two individuals in coats converse near large windows.

The new rehearsal stages and workshops are consciously incorporated into the ‘transparent’ overall concept, in that they are visible from the street – further highlighting the idea of taking a look ‘behind the scenes’. The publically accessible areas of the Staatstheater will be usable all day and presented in future as the ‘city’s living room’. This central foyer, which climbs several stories, serves as both an attractive place to hang out and a clearly navigable connection with the many venues in the building.
The upper foyer with its generous restaurant areas opens onto a viewing terrace, which, in turn, is linked to the new theatre forecourt by a distinctive open flight of steps.

Kleines Haus

Interior of a modern auditorium with curved gray seating; people walk along aisles toward the stage; perforated ceiling panels and dark curtains.

Dim theater auditorium; two performers on a lit stage beside tall translucent panels, as an audience watches.

M2
currently under construction

Empty modern dance studio with wooden floor, long bench seating along the left wall, and large windows on the right.

Empty industrial rehearsal hall with a wooden floor, concrete walls, and sunlit skylight shadows.

Empty modern atrium with mezzanine railing, glass doors and windows, brick floor, white walls, and circular skylights.

Plaza

BBZ Landschaftsarchitekten is transforming this forecourt into an inviting public space with the help of islands of greenery and areas of water. The new ensemble is notable for its reinforcement of the relationship between inside and outside as it stretches, finger-like, in various directions towards the adjacent neighbourhoods, deepening the integration of the new Staatstheater into its surroundings