Snøhetta is set to unveil its latest design for an expanded international opera venue that it hopes will create a new, state-of-the-art cultural hub In the heart of one of Germany’s most artistic cities.

The proposed Duett Düsseldorf will replace the city’s existing 1,300-seat Opernhaus Düsseldorf with an extended program and added mixed-use towers that seamlessly integrate into the historic Hofgarten park below.

Emerging from a “forest-like” foyer entrance bifurcated by a transparent glass shell, visitors are welcomed to the horizontal volume by a sculptural wooden core topped off by three cantilevered floors culminating in a fourth-floor café that provides concert-goers with up-close views of the rehearsal spaces for both the orchestra and choir. The volume is completed by a 6,000-square-meter (32,300-square-foot) roof garden that can be adapted to serve as an event space for communal functions and offers the public 360-degree views of the city. 

This is accented by the appearance of two towers that form a V-shape whose silhouette changes with each perspective to create a dancing “duet” effect that amplifies the building’s purpose. Each tower has an opaque external façade that contrasts with more transparent internal-facing ones, which creates a clear division between residential and artistic uses.

The towers will house a hotel and apartment units in addition to administrative spaces for the opera. With this addition, Snøhetta aspires to build “synergies” between visitors, artists, and inhabitants. Overall, the development aims to create a more accessible space that brings people together. 

The plan was commissioned by Centrum Group and will now undergo an approval process by the city's planning authority. Archinect will have more information on the development once it becomes available.