The new Frankfurt University of Music and Performing Arts will be built in Bockenheim
Finally a perspective for the future: the new building for the Frankfurt University of Music and Performing Arts is being built on the culture campus (Kulturcampus) in Frankfurt-Bockenheim.
Hessian Minister-President Boris Rhein presented the joint plans together with Science Minister Timon Gremmels, Frankfurt's Mayor Mike Josef and Frankfurt's Head of Cultural Affairs Dr. Ina Hartwig at a joint press conference.
The most important facts
- The location and the building plots have been determined: The new HfMDK building will be realized on three building plots in Bockenheim, a legally binding preliminary building permit has been issued by the City of Frankfurt.
- The university has enough space: the building plots offer sufficient space to implement the university's approved room program.
- Independent planning and construction is possible: The new building can be planned and built independently, separate from other construction projects in Bockenheim.
- Architectural competition: The new university building will begin with an architectural competition organized by the state, which is to be announced this year.
- Funding: The state of Hesse will fund the new building with 170 million euros from the HEUREKA university construction program.
The new building of the HfMDK Frankfurt
The HfMDK's room program will be spread across several buildings in Bockenheim:
- the larger part south of Bockenheimer Landstraße
- in and next to the Dondorf printing works
- on the so-called Tortengrundstück next to the Bockenheimer Depot
A student hall of residence, which could house a canteen on the first floor, is planned as part of the Tortengrundstück. The architectural competition will clarify where and to what extent it will ultimately be realized.
The construction of the project will begin with an architectural competition organized by the state, which is to be announced this year. The state of Hesse will fund the new building with 170 million euros from the HEUREKA university construction program.
Arts and Science Minister Timon Gremmels emphasized the importance of the cultural campus as an open and integrative place: "We are sending a clear signal today. We are giving the HfMDK the space it needs. With the Kulturcampus and the new location of the HfMDK, we are not only establishing a place for academic education and high culture, but also a lively space for everyone - with district connections, socioculture and open spaces for art and encounters. We are also creating affordable student housing, which is urgently needed. I would like to thank everyone who has joined us on this journey and will continue to do so. I am certain that the Kulturcampus will become a place for science, art and encounters and a symbol that politics can shape things."
The Frankfurt LAB will also contribute to this in the future: at today's press conference, the City of Frankfurt announced that the Frankfurt LAB can be built on the grounds of the Art Library in Bockenheim.
» The state government's confirmation that the urgently needed new HfMDK building will be realized as a priority is a strong signal in financially difficult times. The City of Frankfurt has brought about important clarifications regarding the urban development conditions in Bockenheim, which have changed in recent years. We would like to thank everyone involved in the decision. Now we must work together to ensure that all further planning and construction processes are carried out at the highest possible speed within a reliable time frame and that the necessary funding is available for functional and high-quality buildings so that the lights do not go out in the existing buildings before the new building can be occupied. We look forward to the city taking up the ideas from the planning workshops of the 2010s and redesigning this section of Bockenheimer Landstrasse. In this way, an urban center with a high quality of life can be created where car traffic still dominates today and pedestrians are forced to take considerable detours. «Prof. Elmar Fulda, President of the HfMDK Frankfurt
The city's plans for the Frankfurt LAB
Now that the state has decided to relocate the HfMDK to the Kulturcampus Bockenheim, the City of Frankfurt can move on to further concrete planning. After a phase of interim use, the Frankfurt LAB could be built on the site of the art library. It is certain that there is enough space for the corresponding planning. Accordingly, the new premises will include a rehearsal stage on the upper floor as well as a large hall at ground level (30 x 50 meters), which is directly accessible and can be delivered to. This means that all of the LAB's space requirements will be met and the situation will be significantly improved compared to the current situation in Schmidtstraße in Frankfurt's Gallus district. Based on this agreement, the Frankfurt City Council will draw up a basic decision on the construction of the Frankfurt LAB. Corresponding planning funds have already been allocated in the city budget.