References Categories Public Festspielhaus Baden-Baden
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Bacino and Starck 3 call the tune
Boasting 2,500 seats, the Festspielhaus Baden-Baden (Baden-Baden Festival Theatre) is the second largest venue for classical music in Europe. The architecture in particular communicates an extraordinary atmosphere to the visitor: the auditorium was built on a former train station. This neoclassical structure has been carefully restored and today forms the entrance area to the festival theatre. In the mid-1990s, Viennese architect Wilhelm Holzbauer designed the redevelopment of the stage area with a foyer flooded with light. Gründerzeit meets post-modernism – the impressive stage area features state-of-the-art technology and is a highly prized venue for both opera and ballet.
The auditorium has a volume of 19,100 m³ and is only surpassed in terms of size by the Opéra La Bastille in Paris. High-profile Munich-based physicist Karlheinz Müller calculated the ideal values for the acoustics in the festival theatre: with a full auditorium, the so-called reverberation, one of the most important sound criteria, is 1.8 seconds and thus corresponds to the Semperoper in Dresden.
Extraordinary buildings sometimes also have extraordinary interiors. The redesign of the sanitary facilities provides an aesthetic counterpart to the “Festspielhaus Baden-Baden” as a premium brand. The Bacino washing bowl sits ceremoniously on the Fogo console and is entirely in keeping with this claim. Bacino’s circular shape permits individual washing area solutions and its elegance takes centre stage. Once again, the Starck 3 ceramics demonstrate their versatility and slip seamlessly into the elegant surroundings.
The furnishings also contribute to the unusual ambience with soft flowing curtains in natural shades adorning the large windows.
Category
Public Building
Architect
Wilhelm Holzbauer
Year of Renovation
2011
Location
Baden-Baden, Germany
Details
2.500 seats, second largest venue for classical music in Europe
Photos
Michael Gregonowits
Website of project
www.festspielhaus.de