The expansion of the ensemble of the Meistersingerhalle with a new hall in connection with Nuremberg as the new European Capital of Culture 2025 leads us through the transformation of the existing ensemble, with respect to the existing Meistersingerhalle, into a new coherent, integrated cultural complex.
This complex is located in the green park, to which a cultural-historical part will be added on the forecourt; the amphitheater. The entrances to the ensemble are concentrated in the central area of the new building. They are located on the ground floor next to the amphitheater and are connected inside via escalators and elevators to the central cloakroom and toilets or via the amphitheater's external stairs with new entrance doors.
The amphitheatre and the new façade are an adequate promise for the future.
With strong logistics, both backstage for the artists and frontstage for the visitors were realised very professionally.
A new multifunctional hall is designed with movable floors and variable acoustics through acoustic movable panels, allowing a great diversity (orchestral performances in the existing classical hall, classical and popular 'chamber music', symphonic music and amplified music, jazz, pop and world music in the new hall and many musical performances in the amphitheatre) and a real richness of all possible musical uses. This approach goes for both existing halls.
A new hall that creates a direct link to the adjacent park through a glass rear wall. An unimagined experience for musicians and audience.
The addition of a green patio at level - 5 m, in line with the entrance level, creates plenty of daylight and greenery for the surrounding functional spaces. Thanks to the central location of the entrance and the basic functions such as cloakroom, toilets and ticket sales, these function efficiently and therefore require fewer staff.
Its compact form makes it both more environmentally sustainable and uses less energy, has shorter walking distances and entails less construction costs. Fewer trees also need to be felled.
An architecturally special ensemble that delivers special exterior acoustics and, of course, fantastic hall acoustics: The basic design of the hall assumes a rectangular shape, not too wide and with sufficient height, inspired by the best halls in the world. A slightly rising floor in the audience area produces strong side wall reflections for a beautiful spatial sound. Timely reflections around the audience provide the right conditions for musicians. The relatively simple basic shape allows efficient measures to be taken in terms of sound insulation and vibrations.
It represents a landmark in urban planning and thus forms a transition from the park to the city centre as well as a better connection with the city centre and public transport. In this way it is possible to program the public space in a very easy and efficient way.
This design is not only a great promise for the future, it functions excellently thanks to the synergy between the Meistersingerhalle and the new hall in experience, programming, use and efficiency as an undivided ensemble, thus forming the new cultural centre for Nuremberg as the Cultural Capital of Europe 2025.
Location: Nuremberg, Germany
Stage: Competition
Function: Cultural
Program: Concert hall venue
Gross Floor Area: 10,775m2
Date: 2017
Design Team: Ralph van Mameren, Rui Duarte, Maurizio Brambilla
