"I would like to expressly thank the German Foundation for Monument Protection and Sparkasse KölnBonn for their decision in favor of the Beethovenhalle. Your joint support is very important for all those currently responsible for the project and encourages us that the diverse and intensive efforts are worthwhile and that we were right in our decision to put the overall project on a new footing," said the Mayor of Bonn. "At the same time, I would like to thank the German Foundation for Monument Protection for its extensive commitment to monument protection in the city of Bonn. Without the foundation's commitment, many monuments and thus a part of our city's identity and history would have been lost forever. "For example, I have very fond memories of our joint festive completion of the restoration of the Beethoven monument in summer 2022," says Katja Dörner.
Beethovenhalle project on the home straight
The project to restore and modernize the Beethovenhalle in line with its listed status is on the home straight. "Every donation that reaches us now on the way to completion of the project is a great support for the final spurt. In December 2025, we want to be able to provide Bonn's citizens with a concert and event hall that is both restored to its listed status and modernized to meet today's requirements," emphasizes Beethovenhallen project manager Steffen Göbel. The restoration of the outdoor facilities, which are also listed, is an important part of the project and should be completed by the time the building reopens.
Joint commitment of DSD and Sparkasse KölnBonn
The funding contract for the restoration of the foyer garden is the fourth grant from the German Foundation for Monument Protection. In 2016, 2017 and 2018, it had already provided the city with corresponding funding for selected trades. In addition to the copper roofing of the domed roof and the natural stone work on the exterior façade of the Great Hall, the restoration of the characteristic brickwork and the restoration of the blue glass mosaic façades on the restaurant façade were also funded. In total, the funding from the German Foundation for Monument Protection amounts to 4,685,743 euros, thanks to Sparkasse KölnBonn, which donated five million euros for the work on the Beethovenhalle at the time. In 2025, a further 750,000 euros are to be handed over for the outdoor facilities.
Ulrich Voigt, Chairman of the Board of Sparkasse KölnBonn, is delighted with the progress that has been made in the meantime on the renovation of the Beethovenhalle in line with its listed status. "Together with the people of Bonn, we are very pleased to be able to 'see and hear' the Beethovenhalle in new splendor again in the foreseeable future. With the Beethovenhalle, Bonn will have a special venue and a wonderful place for music, culture, Beethoven and much more."
Dr. Steffen Skudelny, Chairman of the German Foundation for Monument Protection, emphasizes: "We are delighted and grateful that the donation from Sparkasse KölnBonn has enabled us to provide help in so many different areas of the top-class Beethovenhalle monument. In this way, the jewel of the young republic that this building is can also be experienced by future generations."
To the outdoor facilities of the Beethovenhalle
The basic structure of the outdoor facilities goes back to the architect of the Beethovenhalle, Siegfried Wolske (1925-2005), who already laid out the structure and path system in his design. In accordance with the requirements of the 1954 competition to preserve the old trees in the park of the university clinics, which were built here from 1870, he integrated the existing trees into his plans.
The final design and the carefully selected details of the outdoor facilities to be used as a public park were implemented by the Bonn garden architect Heinrich Raderschall (1916-2010). In addition to the addition of further trees to the tree population, which was already around 90 years old when the Beethovenhalle was built, the wide meadow and path areas characterize the overall appearance. The so-called foyer garden, which is characterized by its framing of natural stone walls that also serve as benches, was given a high-quality design typical of the 1950s. Six fountains once bubbled within the polygonal graywacke slabs of the circular walkway. Large natural stone tables as additional seating areas, together with the decorative planting that changed according to the seasons, rounded off the picture. In the evening, the fountains were illuminated to create a festive atmosphere.
The grounds of the Beethovenhalle were added to the City of Bonn's list of monuments as a garden monument in 2012. The former fountains, which were decommissioned and filled in at the end of the 1980s, are being restored as part of the project "Restoration and modernization of the Beethovenhalle in keeping with its listed status". The circular walkway made of natural stone slabs will be restored according to the historical model, the block stones of the natural stone walls will be straightened and repaired, the seating stones will be refurbished and reinstalled in their old position. In future, the planting will be carried out as alternating flowering perennial beds in order to reduce the amount of maintenance required. When selecting the plants, the focus will be on insect-friendly, heat- and drought-resistant plants in order to meet the current challenges of climate change.
The commissioning of the measures in the main areas - the path and landscaping work - will take place in the coming days. The planning for the "Beethoven Park" has been completed, one of the two tenders required for this has already been published, the second will follow as planned in summer 2024. The outdoor facilities should also be completely restored by December 16, 2025. Within the overall budget of 221.6 million euros, the outdoor facilities comprise a volume of 8.7 million euros.
The grounds of the Beethovenhalle are one of the largest public parks in Bonn's city center, alongside the Rhine promenade, the Hofgarten and Poppelsdorf Allee. Its historically grown tree population is an important part of the inner-city greenery and urban climate.
Current status of the overall project
Work in and on the Beethovenhalle itself is progressing well. The technical building equipment is in the final phase. The aim is to complete the most important work by the end of July 2024. An important step has already been taken with the installation of the smoke extraction fans in mid-April 2024. This means that the ventilation system on the fourth floor is now complete. The commissioning phase will begin shortly.
Stage and media technology companies are currently working in the building. The expansion of the studio is also progressing, with completion scheduled for late summer 2024. The installation of the wall cladding, including the ventilation outlets in the Great Hall, is on the home straight. The work carried out so far already gives a good idea of what the Great Hall will look like in the future.
The floor coverings in the Beethovenhalle are making visible progress: The stone flooring in the foyer has been laid, and preparatory work for the parquet flooring in the Great Hall has been completed. With the laying of the hearing loops, an important milestone has been reached on the way to completing the Great Hall. The first strips of parquet flooring can already be seen laid in the main foyer. In the other rooms, the ceilings and walls (plaster and drywall) are being closed. The installation of the elevators is also progressing. The new medium-voltage station has been installed and connected, thus ensuring the final power supply to the hall. A small part of the outdoor facilities, albeit inside the building - in the so-called atrium - has already been completed.
All in all, the city administration assumes that the building will be handed over to the operator on December 16, 2025. The entire team (project management, project control and site supervision) is working under high pressure together with the individual trades to ensure that all the targets set are achieved. The final spurt has begun.
