Markgräfliches Opera House Bayreuth

Object Type
Concert Halls
Theatres

Client
Bayerische Verwaltung der staatlichen Schlösser, Gärten und Seen

Seats
500

Completion
2018

Expertises
Building Acoustics
Room Acoustics
Acoustic Measurements

Designed from 1744 by architect Giuseppe Galli Bibiena in the Italian Baroque style and inaugurated by Margravine Wilhelmine in 1748, the theatre is one of the most important and best-preserved Baroque theatres in the world. Shortly after it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in June 2012, the theatre was closed for extensive restoration work in order to preserve almost all of the original materials. In six years of work, the restorers succeeded in restoring the detailed box house and the painted surfaces - mainly made of wood and canvas - to their original 18th century appearance.

Müller-BBM Building Solutions already found very good acoustic conditions in this theatre: a very large volume for a classical tiered theatre, few curtains and ideally structured wooden surfaces. The focus was therefore on the newly designed orchestra pit, the theatre seating and the integration of state-of-the-art technology. The installation of a new vibrating wooden floor in the audience area, which also serves to channel the air and ensure even air conditioning, was a major challenge for the ventilation planners and acousticians alike in view of the stringent monument protection requirements.

In the run-up to the reopening, the first musical rehearsals have already confirmed the excellent acoustics of the renovated theatre. In conjunction with the new stage machinery, the Margravial Opera House is now ideally equipped to host opera and concert events as well as the newly established "Bayreuth Baroque Opera Festival" under the best acoustic conditions, in addition to museum operations with guided tours.

Image Copyright
1 Bayerische Schlösserverwaltung/Fotograf Feuerpfeil
2 Bayerische Schlösserverwaltung/Fotograf Achim Bunz
3 MBBM-BSO
4 MBBM-BSO