Redevelopment of the Württemberg State Theaters

The Stuttgart Opera House is to be given a temporary location in  sub-area C1 (opens in a new tab) of the future  Stuttgart Rosenstein (opens in a new tab) district.

The area around the  Wagenhallen (opens in a new tab), which was renovated by the city at a cost of around 33 million euros, is already a vibrant space for art, culture and togetherness. Together with local stakeholders, it is to be developed into the Maker City urban quarter - a pilot project for cultural production, living and working.

After several searches, this location near the Wagenhallen emerged as the best alternative as a temporary site for the Stuttgart Opera. As part of the development of the area, the buildings will initially be available for the interim opera house and later for the Maker City uses set out in the urban planning design, and will include space for a variety of living and residential forms right from the start.

An opera company requires far more than the actual stage. Only extensive production and rehearsal rooms, storage facilities and premises for technical services and administration make the elaborate productions of the Württemberg State Theatres possible. These uses are to be accommodated at the interim location. Once the opera has moved out and minor renovations have been completed, this space will be available for the "Pioneers of Urban Production" project. This is both climate-friendly and cost-effective.

The residential areas planned as part of the "Pioneers of urban production" project are to be implemented on the upper floors as soon as the opera house begins to be used - entirely in the spirit of the productive Maker City at the interface between cultural production, living and working.

A temporary modular structure is to be built for the interim venue for 1,200 spectators with a stage tower over 30 meters high. Once the opera has moved out and the building has been dismantled, there will be opportunities to reuse the modules for other projects.

In October 2022, the Europe-wide building construction realization competition was announced. There were a total of 20 entries in the competition. On June 19, 2023, the design by a+r Architekten GmbH, Stuttgart, with NL Architects, Amsterdam, Netherlands, came out on top.

In the course of the opera renovation, a new workshop building for the permanent relocation of the decoration workshops of the Württemberg State Theaters (WST) is being built at the former sugar factory in Bad Cannstatt with a connection to the existing scenery warehouse of the WST.

In this workshop building, the production of a complete stage set including rehearsal construction will be possible in the future. For this purpose, an assembly hall is necessary that meets the general conditions of the main stage and has a direct connection to the existing scenery warehouse and the repertory hall there.

The workshops themselves can be equipped according to the state of the art at this new location, so that an optimized, functional and rational workflow is created that enables sustainable operation under contemporary working conditions. At the interim site and later at the refurbished Oberer Schlossgarten site, this relocation means that only a few functional areas are required, for example to make short-term adjustments and conversions directly at the stage.

The building complex, which consists of the opera house, administration and scenery building, is in urgent need of renovation, modernization and expansion. The last renovation of the listed Littmann building was over 35 years ago; only the interior was restored to its historical appearance and the so-called Böhm Pavilion was built. This architectural jewel is to be preserved for future generations. The complex is to be better integrated into the urban context and the public space.

A " Citizens' Forum on the Renovation of the Württemberg State Theatres (opens in a new tab)" took place from October to December 2020.

57 random citizens from the city, the surrounding area and from all over the country spent several sessions intensively examining the complexity of the project, listening to experts and ultimately forming a well-founded opinion on the opera house renovation and extension after an in-depth discussion.

The vote of the random citizens was presented to the decision-making bodies.

This is only true at first, superficial glance. The last renovation was almost 40 years ago and was essentially a reconstruction of the auditorium according to Max Littmann's original plans. The technology also dates back to the 1980s. Today, the main issues are the workplaces and the outdated stage and building technology. The work situation for many of the 1,400 employees would not be re-approved today, especially the workplaces in the workshops and in the stage and orchestra areas. There is therefore no way around a refurbishment.

In 2014, Kunkel Consulting International prepared an expert report in which the overall refurbishment requirements of all buildings at the main location were determined for the first time. The report by the theater experts was intensively reviewed by the state's experts.

One of the results: In order to meet legal requirements for occupational safety, energy saving and building technology, additional space of around 10,000 square meters is needed in addition to a modernized stage.

This additional space requirement was thoroughly reviewed and confirmed in a further expert opinion. Conclusion: The Württemberg State Theatres need this space to operate successfully.

The starting point of the previous planning was to cover the additional space required at the location in the Oberer Schlossgarten. Among other things, the old scenery building on Konrad-Adenauer-Straße, which currently houses the decoration workshops, was to be demolished or dismantled and rebuilt or extended on a larger scale - right up to Gebhard-Müller-Platz.

However, the Württemberg State Theatres' Board of Directors then decided - in line with the recommendations of the public consultation in 2020 - to reduce the enormous pressure on space at the main location of the Württemberg State Theatres.

For this reason, areas are to be relocated. A new workshop building with around 8,400 square meters of usable space is to be created on a municipal property at the sugar factory in Bad Cannstatt to house the set design workshops alongside the existing scenery warehouse. This will allow the scenery building at the main location to be smaller than previously planned and open up scope for new urban planning and design perspectives at the corner of Gebhard-Müller-Platz and Konrad-Adenauer-Straße.

The cost estimate from 2019 is divided into three components:

• the opera house with modern stage technology
  260 million euros
• the new construction of the scenery building
  200 million euros
• the restructuring and opening up of other existing buildings (Hof 3, administration building and Schauspielhaus) with additional space for artistic mediation work, programs for daily operations, new artistic formats and appropriate gastronomy
  90 million euros

This amounts to a total of around 550 million euros based on the construction prices in 2019. The cost estimate has not been updated since then. In general, the dynamic development of construction prices in recent years shows how difficult it is to make reliable construction price forecasts over longer periods of time.

Against this backdrop and in particular due to the further significant increase in construction prices since the start of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, it is currently not possible to make a reliable forecast on the development of costs for the renovation, modernization and expansion of the Württemberg State Theatres. First of all, a concrete design is required for the main location at Oberer Schlossgarten and the planning for the other sub-projects must be continued until the design planning has been completed. Only then can the costs be reliably determined.

It is important for the state and the city to approach such a large project as the renovation, modernization and expansion of the Württemberg State Theatres with realistic assumptions and thorough planning. The project and therefore also the financing extend over a long period of time. The cost of labor and building materials increases every year, as do other prices. The construction cost index shows how much they are rising.

Regardless of a specific design, there are planning and therefore cost risks at the main site in terms of logistics on the construction site, underground or monument protection.

For this reason, the state's experts have calculated an additional 30 percent in 2019 for the uncertainties that can arise in such a large and complex project and have made provisions accordingly. That is an additional 165 million euros on top of the estimated 550 million euros.

In the cost estimate from 2019, a further 243 million euros were budgeted for rising construction prices over an assumed project duration of around ten years. That makes around 960 million euros.

Based on the current construction price increases and those that have actually occurred in recent years, a recalculation will increase the cost framework from 2019 accordingly. Due to the ongoing volatile development of construction prices and the lack of available design plans, updating the costs at this point in time is neither sensible nor consistent.

The calculated total from 2019 corresponds to comparable projects of a similar size in Germany and other countries, some of which were already underway at the time of the cost estimate.

To ensure that operations can continue during the construction period, a temporary solution is needed for the opera and ballet performances and the workplaces - an interim location. This is planned for the so-called "C1" area at the Wagenhallen in Stuttgart North. The main opera and ballet functions at the Oberer Schlossgarten site are to be housed there, with the exception of the decoration workshops.

Following the use of the WST, the majority of the building complex will be used for its intended purpose in the 'Maker City' as defined in the urban development plans and thus preserved permanently. Apartments will also be built there at the beginning of the WST use. The building section of the interim venue with foyer, auditorium and stage will be constructed as a temporary building.

A risk premium was assumed on the estimated rough construction costs in the same way as for the main location. However, as fewer uncertainties are to be expected in the new construction area, the surcharge was set at 15 percent by the city's experts.

In addition to a surcharge for climate protection measures, an increase in construction prices was also taken into account due to the very long project lead times. The current massive increase in construction prices must be monitored and, if necessary, adjusted accordingly in the longer term. An amount of 110 million euros was estimated for the temporary building sections and 114 million euros for the permanent building sections with residential units.

The costs are not incurred in one go, but are spread over many years. With the project duration of ten years assumed in 2019, this would mean that an annual average of less than 100 million euros can be calculated based on the cost estimate from 2019. As the state of Baden-Württemberg and the state capital Stuttgart share the costs as sponsors of the Staatstheater Stuttgart, the average would be less than EUR 50 million each. However, it is not yet possible to conclusively predict how long the project is likely to take.

At the end of 2019, the city and state presented a transparent and reliable cost estimate for the renovation, modernization and expansion of the main location as well as for the interim location and promoted this project with honest figures. This was preceded by an intensive technical review and debate. Construction price increases and other risks were factored in.

Since then, construction prices have increased massively, partly due to the coronavirus pandemic and the associated supply bottlenecks for building materials and high energy costs.

Since 2019, construction prices have risen by an annual average of around 7.6%, partly due to the coronavirus pandemic and, from 2022, due to the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine.

These two key price drivers - a global pandemic and a war in Europe - could not have been foreseen in 2019.

This means that the city and state are also expecting cost increases - which incidentally affects all construction projects. However, it is not possible to make a serious statement about the level of future cost increases today, especially as there are still no concrete plans for the main site at Oberer Schlossgarten. More detailed cost estimates can only be made on the basis of the design plans for the three sub-projects. Anything else is pure speculation.

The city council passed a resolution in principle for the project on July 28, 2021. It thus approved the redevelopment concept and granted a financing commitment for the proportionate municipal planning funds.

On May 5, 2022, the municipal council passed the preliminary project resolution for the interim in the area of the planned "Maker City" on the C 1 site at the Wagenhallen in Stuttgart North and released planning funds up to and including the design planning.

By budgeting a planning instalment in the 2018/19 budget and updating it in subsequent budgets, the state parliament has recognized the need for construction at the WST in the first stage and approved the planning.

Once the draft plans for the sub-projects are on the table, the specific costs can be quantified on this basis. Only on the basis of these design-specific costs determined for each sub-project do the committees of the state and city shareholders decide on the approval of further planning and construction costs.

A milestone was reached with the establishment of the joint project company of the city and state. On January 10, 2023, the "Projektgesellschaft Württembergische Staatstheater Stuttgart GmbH" (ProWST) was founded. Christoph Niethammer was appointed Managing Director and took up his position at ProWST in mid-September 2023. At the beginning of May 2024, ProWST took over the continuation of the sub-projects "Construction of a new workshop building at the sugar factory" and "Renovation, modernization and extension of the listed opera house at Oberer Schlossgarten" from Landesbetrieb Vermögen und Bau Baden-Württemberg. The "Interim location" sub-project was handed over to ProWST by the building construction office of the state capital Stuttgart at the beginning of the second half of 2024.

The next project steps are the planning continuation of the "Zuckerfabrik" and "Interimsstandort" sub-projects until the design planning is completed and the preparation of the competition for the "Oberer Schlossgarten" sub-project.

The Stuttgart Opera and Ballet are world-class and of outstanding international importance. With the general renovation, modernization and expansion, the Württemberg State Theatres, as the cultural flagship of the state and the city, are to be given a secure and forward-looking place to work for at least the next 50 years and thus remain employable and competitive. In addition to the theater-specific work, urban development accents are also to be set and the buildings are to convey an opening into urban society.

The existing concept for the refurbishment, modernization and expansion of the Württemberg State Theatres is based almost exclusively on legal requirements and mandatory operational concerns - keyword occupational health and safety. The costs of a fictitious new building were also examined, with the result that even higher costs would be incurred overall if the space requirements of the Württemberg State Theatres were taken as a basis, as the Littmann building would have to be renovated anyway. In addition, there is no suitable location for a new building.

The basis for the implementation concept and the rough cost planning are the requirements of the Württembergische Staatstheater in terms of space and technical equipment. This is the prerequisite for modern and artistically valuable theater operations.

Comparable projects in other cities show that they are on a similar scale - even if they seemed more favorable in advance.

In the case of the Städtische Bühnen Köln, a three-genre theater with around 700 employees, the pure construction costs were initially estimated at 253 million euros. Currently, the refurbishment is expected to cost 702 million euros (construction costs, including ancillary construction costs and all known risks, as at 30.11.2023).

The Deutsche Oper am Rhein in Düsseldorf is to be given a new building for over 700 million euros. This was decided by the city at the end of 2021.

The comparison is appropriate: With 1,400 employees, the Württembergische Staatstheater Stuttgart is the largest three-division theater in the world (opera, ballet, drama).

These issues have been intensively discussed by the city and state authorities, the building authorities and the Württemberg State Theatres. In a process lasting several years, the Board of Directors of the State Theatres decided to renovate, modernize and expand the opera house, partly because a new building would have been more expensive.

The historic opera house in the heart of the city would have had to be preserved even with a new building in order to continue to stage ballet performances there. This would also have required extensive refurbishment at considerable cost. This is because the majority of the costs are due to legal requirements.

In order to better assess the costs, the state capital has calculated a fictitious new building. This could realistically have been built on the S21 site behind the new station, for example. Construction would only have been expected to start after the new main station had been commissioned and the track apron had been dismantled.

An average value was calculated from the known costs of opera house projects in Copenhagen, Oslo and Linz, extended by the future increases in construction costs expected in 2019. This mean value for a new opera house amounted to 642 million euros in 2019.

Once this new building had been constructed and the opera, ballet and production facilities had been relocated, the renovation of the Littmann building and the conversion of the scenery building could have begun. A cross-stage could have been dispensed with because only ballet performances would then have been scheduled in the Littmann building. The renovation costs would therefore have been reduced by 20 to 26 million euros based on the prices from 2019. It would also have been possible to dispense with a small part of the stage technology. The scenery building would not have had to be demolished and rebuilt larger, but could have been refurbished at a reduced cost. The adjustments in courtyard 3 towards the Eckensee would also have been less costly. Here too, possible risks and foreseeable increases in construction costs should have been taken into account.

In total, these sub-projects were expected to cost between 1.2 and 1.4 billion euros in 2019. This did not include the additional costs for the ongoing maintenance of an additional venue, which the state and city would also have had to bear.

Even though music is performed in both venues, an opera house and a concert hall have completely different requirements in terms of architecture and acoustics. An interim venue for opera and ballet requires a stage tower and orchestra pit. A concert hall does not need this. On the contrary, a stage tower would ruin the concert acoustics. The city has had this question assessed. The expert came to the clear conclusion that such a mixed building would not be a good solution for either the opera or the concert hall.

A cost range of 20 to 26 million euros is estimated for the structural expansion of the Littmann Building as a prerequisite for the installation of the cross stage, based on the prices in 2019. As the stage technology has to be replaced anyway, it does not play a role in this cost range.

An expansion of the stage landscape is important in order to be able to carry out conversions and set changes quickly and efficiently and also offer more performances - this would make more performances possible for the Stuttgart Ballet. The demand for tickets for the ballet is currently far from being met and visitors often have to be turned away. With a cross-stage, for example, it could be possible in future to give an opera performance for families on Sunday morning and a ballet performance in the evening. On the following Monday morning, a school performance could take place, followed by a rehearsal and a production from the repertoire in the evening. With this high degree of variability, new visitor groups can also be addressed. The repertoire operation - the basis of theater operations in Germany - can thus be designed with a high degree of programmatic flexibility.

In addition, a cross-stage offers more flexibility and space for stage design and direction and also makes it possible to realize new developments. The outstanding artistic work of ballet and opera, which is regularly confirmed by awards, requires such production conditions. The high level of artistic success is achieved despite the difficult conditions and is due to the great commitment of all employees on and off stage. This success should not be an argument for leaving the existing conditions as they are.

In addition, a cross-stage offers more flexibility and space for stage design and direction and also makes it possible to realize new developments. The outstanding artistic work of ballet and opera, which is regularly confirmed by awards, requires such production conditions. The high level of artistic success is achieved despite the difficult conditions and is due to the great commitment of all employees on and off stage. This success should not be an argument for leaving the existing conditions as they are.

In order to install a cross-stage, the Littmann building would have to be widened by around 2.50 meters on the south side towards the Landtag over a length of around 16 meters. Without a cross-stage, it would be very difficult to change between opera and ballet performances at short notice and between different performances. There are also some limits to the artistic design. With a cross-stage, stage sets could be changed more quickly in future. It would also make more performances possible, for example for the much sought-after Stuttgart Ballet.

The performance in the historic Littmann Building could only be maintained for a few more years. There are hardly any spare parts left for the outdated technology or personnel who can handle it.

At the Wagenhallen. Based on the results of the international open urban planning competition for Stuttgart Rosenstein, the state capital of Stuttgart has developed a concept for an interim location on the C1 site at the Wagenhallen. The majority of the resulting areas will be used permanently, as they will be available for use as offices, work and cultural facilities and also apartments in the Maker City following their use by the WST as defined in the urban development plans. The rest, in particular the interim venue, will be built as a modular structure and can be sold once the Württemberg State Theatres have moved out. As many opera houses around the world have to be renovated, there is a market for these modules. Last but not least, this location has excellent bus and rail connections.

The design by a+r Architekten (Stuttgart) with NL Architects (Amsterdam) won the Europe-wide competition for this interim location for the Württemberg State Theatres in June 2023. Further planning will be carried out with the support of corresponding specialist planning offices.

While the opera house at Oberer Schlossgarten is being renovated, modernized and extended, it will not be possible to play, sing, make music and dance there. A temporary replacement stage is needed to maintain the artistic excellence of the opera and ballet during the construction period and to be able to offer Stuttgart's citizens and the many visitors from near and far a varied program.

A " Citizens' Forum on the Renovation of the Württemberg State Theatres (opens in a new tab)" took place from October to December 2020.

57 random citizens from the city, the surrounding area and from all over the country spent several sessions intensively examining the complexity of the project, listening to experts and ultimately forming a well-founded opinion on the opera house renovation and extension after an in-depth discussion.

The vote of the random citizens was presented to the decision-making bodies.

It continues to be important to campaign for the project among the people. After all, this is a project that has an impact on society. The public participation process was an excellent start with intensive discussions and comprehensive information. Further public participation formats are planned.

In addition to the structural aspects, the focus in future will be even more on content-related topics, social developments and perspectives. The Württemberg State Theatres are in the process of developing a vision and communication strategy for how they want to open themselves up to the public, society and the city and make an impact.

Detailed information on public participation can be found on the municipal participation portal at  stuttgart-meine-stadt.de (opens in a new tab).

First of all, the committees of the state and city shareholders must approve the plans in principle. Only on this basis can the construction of the new decoration workshops at the sugar factory in Stuttgart-Bad-Cannstatt and the new interim building in Stuttgart-Nord begin. The completion of the decoration workshops and the interim building is a prerequisite for the start of construction at the main site.

For the planning and implementation of the refurbishment, modernization and expansion, the city and the state have agreed to found a joint project company: ProWST. The planning and implementation of the three complex sub-projects Interim, Zuckerfabrik and Oberer Schlossgarten by ProWST will ensure efficient planning and implementation of the overall measure from a single source. ProWST was founded on January 10, 2023.

Christoph Niethammer was appointed Managing Director and began working for ProWST in mid-September 2023. At the beginning of May 2024, ProWST took over the continuation of the sub-projects "Construction of a new workshop building at the sugar factory" and "Renovation, modernization and extension of the listed opera house at Oberer Schlossgarten", which were previously managed by Landesbetrieb Vermögen und Bau Baden-Württemberg. The "Interim location" sub-project was handed over to ProWST by the building construction office of the state capital Stuttgart at the beginning of the second half of 2024.

The next project steps are the planning continuation of the "Zuckerfabrik" and "Interimsstandort" sub-projects until the design planning is completed and the preparation of the competition for the "Oberer Schlossgarten" sub-project.

A century-long project like the Opera House renovation preserves the landmark building, which dates back to 1912, as a venue for the award-winning opera and world-renowned ballet for generations to come. It is an international flagship for the city, the region and beyond. The Württemberg State Theaters are also a central location factor for the attractiveness of the city and the state. In terms of content and art, the opera and ballet are themselves developing and shaping the future - but they also need a building in which they can do this.

The performances of ballet and opera are made for all citizens, for all people here in the country and beyond, for all generations. Opera and ballet/dance are universal art forms that include everyone and everything. They combine language, movement, music, emotions and sensuality to create an overall experience. The works are about us, about people in special situations and conflicts. Opera and ballet/dance work with memory, the present and blueprints for the future.

Every season, around 450,000 people visit the state theaters with opera, ballet and drama. Tickets for the opera house start at 8 euros. For every performance, for everyone who is interested, including a return ticket on the VVS network.

Each season, the opera invites you to over 300 performances in a variety of formats, from 30-minute cushion concerts for the little ones to free lunchtime concerts, chamber concerts and symphony concerts in the Liederhalle, participatory programs, new formats in new locations, unusual and astonishing, cooperative and integrative, experimental and audiovisual and, of course, grand opera in the historic auditorium. The Young Opera in the North is aimed in particular at children and young people, cooperates with all schools in the state and also does community work in Stuttgart North from Löwentor to Hallschlag.

The Stuttgart Ballet presents a wide-ranging repertoire from traditional classical ballets to contemporary dance and promotes young and established choreographers by commissioning world premieres every season. Free introductions and special introductions for children, a look behind the scenes, public training sessions with the company, ballet in the park, mini dance workshops and ballet tours are just some of the educational projects and free offers.

In 2018, the state parliament made an initial decision in principle for the renovation, modernization and expansion of the Württemberg State Theatres: By budgeting a planning instalment in the 2018/19 budget and updating it in subsequent budgets, the state parliament recognized the need for construction at the WST in the first stage and gave the go-ahead for the planning of the decoration workshops at the sugar factory as well as for the renovation, modernization and expansion of the main location at Oberer Schlossgarten.

In July 2021, the municipal council of the City of Stuttgart passed a resolution in principle approving the implementation concept for the planned renovation, modernization and expansion of the Württemberg State Theatres, which had been developed over many years between WST, the state and the city, as well as a financing commitment for pro rata municipal planning funds.

In May 2022, the municipal council passed the preliminary project resolution for the new construction of the interim location on C1. In this resolution, the administration was commissioned to continue the planning for the interim location up to and including the design planning.

In December 2022, the municipal council approved the establishment of a joint project company by the state and city as well as the necessary contracts between the state and city and the corresponding financial resources.

In January 2023, the state and city founded the joint project company Württembergische Staatstheater Stuttgart GmbH, ProWST for short, for the planning and implementation of the overall project. ProWST will continue to manage the sub-projects until the design planning has been completed. After completion of the design planning, ProWST will determine the budget for each sub-project, which is calculated from the planning and construction costs plus a risk premium.

The committees of the state and city shareholders will decide on the further planning and implementation of the sub-projects on the basis of these design-specific costs.

Both the city and the state have other important tasks. However, these will still be tackled alongside the renovation, modernization and expansion of the Württemberg State Theatres. The state of Baden-Württemberg spends around 50 billion euros a year. Calculated over ten years, the state's share for the renovation, modernization and expansion of the Stuttgart Opera House corresponds to around 0.1 percent of the budget volume. In relation to the state's construction projects alone, which amount to around 1 billion euros per year, the state's share would correspond to around 5 percent. And this is all based on the calculation of the highest value in 2019 (including construction price increases and risk buffers).