Goetheanum, Dornach, Switzerland

Object Type
Theatres

Client
General Anthroposophical Society Goetheanum, Dornach

Architects
Architekturbüro U. Oelssner, Stuttgart

Completion
1999

Expertises
Room Acoustics

The Goetheanum in Dornach near Basel in Switzerland is the international center of the anthroposophical movement. Named after Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, the building houses two halls (seating 1,000 and 500, respectively), exhibition and lecture rooms, a library, a bookshop as well as administrative rooms of the Anthroposophical Society. The Society‘s research and education facilites are located in the neighboring buildings

The first Goetheanum, designed by Rudolf Steiner between 1908 and 1925, was a timber and concrete construction which was destroyed by arson on New Year‘s Eve 1922/23. In the course of the year 1923, Steiner designed a new building entirely made of reinforced concrete – nowadays known as the Second Goetheanum. Construction works began in 1924; however, the building was not completed until 1928, after the architect‘s death.

In the large auditorium of the Goetheanum, performances of the in-house theater and eurythmy groups as well as of visiting artists from around the world take place. During the comprehensive refurbishment, an interdisciplinary team – consisting of sculptors, architects, acousticians and the very committed client – in a very considerate way integrated all necessary room acoustical measures into the historic structure.

Image Copyright
1 Goethenaum unsplash.com
2 MBBM-BSO
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