Context
The concert hall Glocke is one of Bremen's most important cultural institutions and an internationally renowned concert hall. After some 30 years of intensive use since the last extensive renovation, it is imperative that the Glocke be renewed in the coming years and functionally adapted to current requirements. In addition to obligatory issues such as fire protection, this also concerns making the Small Hall usable and adapting it to the changing needs of event organisers and visitors. By upgrading and further developing Die Glocke, it can become a more open and lively place and help to bring together Bremen's diverse society and make a valuable contribution to the development of the city centre. actori was asked to present the framework conditions and potential for the design of Die Glocke and to assess its feasibility within the framework of a feasibility study.
Approach
Together with our partner Raum+Szene, different scenarios for the content-related, spatial, functional and operational set-up of the Glocke were developed, central development potentials were identified and their feasibility was assessed, also with a long-term perspective. In total, more than 35 interviews were conducted with relevant representatives of the Glocke and its (potential) users, the City of Bremen and external stakeholders in order to record the different perspectives, expectations and requirements for a Glocke concert hall and its further development. In order to classify the objectives and derive success factors, a benchmark analysis was carried out. The results of the work are also based on a broad internal data analysis (e.g. number of events but also statistics on population development, location factors, trends) as well as an investigation of the general conditions at the location. Finally, two scenarios were elaborated in order to include different content-related design options against the background of limited spatial development possibilities. Both scenarios were examined in detail with regard to their consequences in terms of content, infrastructure, operations and finances in order to have a basis for decision-making.
Mehrwert
- The study shows how the Glocke can be further developed from an evening concert hall to an open, all-day venue in order to achieve a stronger connection to the urban space and the urban society.
- Impulses to involve less addressed younger visitor groups address a hitherto new target group and create a new dimension of low-threshold accessibility.
- The project supports Bremen's 2030+ strategy (inner city development) and forms the starting point of a cultural mile between the World Heritage Site and the district, thus strengthening the connection between Bremen's "cultural treasures".
- Thanks to the measures presented in the variants and modern programme planning, the funding criteria of the federal government can probably be fulfilled, and the federal government can be expected to approve the project by the end of 2026.
- The concert hall Die Glocke and its outdoor spaces could be elevated in terms of design and function through the measures presented for upgrading.
- The feasibility study will be incorporated into the further decision-making process for the conceptual design of the future of the Glocke and the necessary architectural competition.
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