01 Mar 2019
First look at RKW Architektur-designed "Opera on the Rhine"
BY Andrew Manns
Architecture bureau RKW Architektur (RKW) have unveiled renderings of the "Neue Deutsche Oper am Rhein" (New Opera on the Rhine) – multifunctional art, culture, and hospitality venue proposed for the Rhine embankment promenade in Düsseldorf, Germany.
If approved, the riverside opera house – shaped to reflect the city's cosmopolitan history – will feature a built-in 310-room hotel, a 1,500-seat audience hall, a top-floor swimming pool, and multiple dining areas.
In a statement, Dieter Schmoll, managing partner at RKW, said the promenade "has become an excellent location for the construction of a modern opera house".
Built between 1990 and 1997 by Niklaus Fritschi, the waterfront is one of the city's most popular attractions, offering extensive bike and walking paths.
According to The Rheinische Post, RKW's design concept – one of several proposals submitted to replace the Victorian-era Opernhaus Düsseldorf – could cost up to €280m (US$318.5m, £240.5m).
"It will be the pride of all citizens," Schmoll told the paper.
Alternative schemes have also been put forward by architecture studios HPP and Projektschmiede.
A decision on the future of the Opernhaus is expected to be made later this year.
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