Following years of refurbishment, expansion and modernisation, Cologne’s municipal theatre complex Bühnen Köln has reopened. With a grand reopening festival on 19 and 20 September, one of Cologne`s most important cultural meeting places returned to public life, closing the major gap in the city`s cultural landscape.
HPP Architects were responsible for the architectural planning of the project over a period of more than 14 years—from the initial design to completion. The planning and implementation were carried out in collaboration with theapro and BRB Lindlar on behalf of their client Bühnen der Stadt Köln.
“Now the architecture once again reflects the purpose for which it was created: a space for opera and theatre, for encounters and culture – in the centre of Cologne’s inner city”, says Remigiusz Otrzonsek, Senior Partner of HPP Architects, responsible for the project. “After many years of intensive planning and implementation, we are delighted that this significant cultural ensemble is once again available for the city’s inhabitants and their guests to experience.”
Between preservation and progression: the architectural assignment
The ensemble with protected building status, situated on Offenbachplatz and built at the end of the 1950s/beginning of the 1960s according to the plans of Wilhelm Riphahn, originally consisted of an opera house, “Schauspielhaus” and “Opernterrassen”. The goal of renovation was to preserve the architectural quality and identity of this significant cultural icon whilst at the same time creating the preconditions for contemporary cultural use.
In the course of the comprehensive renovation, the ensemble of buildings was expanded by the addition of two performance stages: the former restaurant of the Opernterassen has become the “Little House” (Kleines Haus des Schauspiels), while a new Children’s Opera (Kinderoper) has been constructed underneath Dirk-Bach-Platz as a permanent extension to the performance spaces of the complex. Thus, the project combines respectful treatment of the protected buildings with purposeful structural expansions to guide this historic ensemble gently into the future.
The building fabric has undergone comprehensive restoration in terms of structural engineering, building physics and fire safety. Today, the ensemble looks more attractive from the outside and is considerably more functional on the inside: the area under the southern section of the complex, the delivery yard and the area between the workshop towers has been developed going down to a depth of eight metres. This new space houses two additional rehearsal stages, costume storage space and the plant room for the whole air supply system. The workshops have underground connections to all the stages of the ensemble.
Some of the existing buildings have been stripped back to their shells and rebuilt in line with their protected status. Original surfaces have been restored, historical materials like veneers, natural stone and Rabitz ceilings have been refurbished and lost colour concepts recreated.
All operating processes like delivery, access for artists and workers as well as visitor streams have been optimised. The acoustics of the existing “Schauspielhaus” and opera house have been improved, so that together with the new venues, “Little House” and Children’s Opera, a theatrical ensemble has been created that satisfies the most demanding requirements of a modern and sustainable venue.
“A cultural quarter of this size must be able to accommodate new offerings and forms of theatre. We are proud to have played our part in ensuring that, today, Bühnen Köln is equipped to do that”, says Remigiusz Otrzonsek.
The new auditoria
For the new underground Children’s Opera, a separate, circular, Baroque-inspired auditorium has been created. With shiny gold surfaces, it is elegantly connected to the stone foyer of the opera house by way of a sculpted double helix staircase. In the future, more than 200 young visitors can be playfully introduced to the arts of music and theatre here.
The “Little House” provides a new studio theatre with variable topography, a lowerable stage and surrounding work gallery to accommodate an audience of more than 200 and new formats. The building itself is consciously understated so that the opera house and “Schauspielhaus” remain the defining structural elements of the Offenbachplatz location.
A space for the city
In the course of the work, the large Offenbachplatz and the Dirk-Bach-Platz have been upgraded in line with their protected status and circular benches have been added. The historic fountain and surfacing of the squares have been renovated and restored to their original quality. Gastronomy offers, expanded by the addition of an outside café, further improve the recreational quality and breathe life into these public spaces.
The surrounding streets have also been upgraded in the course of the project. New trees, accessible parking spaces and an information point on the theatrical and events programme of the municipal theatre complex contribute to an improved overall environment, recreational quality and usability of the quarter.
Team:
Client: Bühnen der Stadt Köln
Technical Operations Manager (from 1 July 2025): Andrea Blome
Project management: Prof. Jürgen M. Volm
Architects Refurbishment
Partners: HPP Architects + theapro
Lead: HPP Architects, Cologne
Theatre Planning and Theatre Technology: theapro, Munich
Specialist restoration planning: BRB Lindlar, Bonn
Team HPP Architects:
Creative and Technical Direction: Remigiusz Otrzonsek (Senior Partner)
Project management: Götz Oliver Broichheuser (Associate Partner), Ole Bohnenkamp, Silke Kampen
Team: Sandra Deitmer, Andrea Holler, Rida Abdo, Andreas Friedrich
Existing building
Architect: Wilhelm Riphahn
Photographer: Jann Hoefer
