Cologne Opera stage renovation delayed again

Despite a slight increase in the pace of stage renovation at the Cologne Opera in Germany and an increase of 13 completed areas, the March balance sheet for the stage construction site shows that the milestones of April 30, 2024 (“Clean installation of lighting and media technology and IT components”) and May 17, 2024 (“Completion of acceptance by building services specialists and commencement of the operational principle test”) will not be fully met. As a result, formal acceptance of the building will not be possible before June 28, 2024, and the handover will have to be postponed.

Bernd Streitberger explains: “I am responsible for the fact that the timetable cannot be met at this time. I am well aware of how disappointing it is to be delayed again, and it is disappointing for me as well. I took on this task precisely to prevent this from happening.”

Bernd Streitberger, who has been technical operations manager for the Cologne Opera since 2016, suffered a stroke in February 2024 and will not renew his contract, leaving the project at the end of June, according to Rundschau-Online. Markus Greitemann, Commissioner for Planning and Construction of the City of Cologne, will take over as Technical Operations Manager.

The cost forecast for the stage renovation as of March 31, 2024, including all expenditures to date, is €704 million.