With two iconic Dancing Towers, a generous public roof garden and a world-class opera house, this German city will get a new cultural hub thanks to Duett Düsseldorf.
The Signature Towers, formerly known as Dancing Towers designed by Snøhetta, are in the shape of a giant V, like a peace sign pointing at the Düsseldorf skyline. They are built in a way that they don’t cast too much shade on the surrounding area. The two structures will be built on top of a new opera house that will feature stunning sculpted wood inside.
Duett Düsseldorf, the new opera house, creates visible linkages to the surrounding Hofgarten park, the Rhein river, and the prominent Königsallee street to create a public space that brings people together. The project intends to establish a common cultural core for the people of Düsseldorf with an opera theatre, restaurants and cafés, which is why the towers do not shed too much shade. This is an issue that Studio Gang and NBBJ have attempted to address through creative design.
“From the horizontal levels, an unmistakable V-shaped silhouette reaches up towards the sky,” explains Snøhetta. “The ensemble of towers changes its silhouette from each new perspective, creating a constantly changing expression reminiscent of a dancing duet.” The towers are cleverly designed to avoid shadowing in the park and neighbourhood while improving daylight in the courtyard.
“Focus has been put on creating clear divisions between the functions and providing protection from changing weather conditions, while also ensuring a visual connection and uniform appearance of the building. This is enabled through a layered glass facade with different scaling and transparency. Contrasting an opaquer outward-facing tower facade, the inward-facing facades are mostly self-shaded and therefore allow for a high level of transparency and interaction with the public on the roofscape.”
The towers will ascend from a public rooftop terrace with residential units, hotels, restaurants and office spaces. The terrace will be green and offer views of the city. in addition, it will also be used as a performance space.
With glass facades and an eye-catching wooden interior, the new opera house will be situated within the low-rise framework that supports the towers. From the café, visitors can see into the rehearsal spaces of the opera, including the choir and orchestra rehearsal rooms. A massive two-story ballet rehearsal building will be exclusive, but the rehearsal spaces can be opened up to the audience for performances when necessary.
The Dancing Towers are an important architectural element, with roughly 25.000 square metres of mixed-use opera and hotel activities and publicly accessible places. Its purpose is to foster partnerships and synergies among residents, tourists, guests, employees, and artists, and it also serves as a link between the park, the Rhine, and the sky.
Centrum Group commissioned the project, and its completion date has yet to be determined.
Source: Snøhetta