Overview
- A 16-member jury of city representatives, the Kühne Foundation and external experts unanimously selected BIG’s proposal, which was presented in HafenCity with senior Hamburg officials in attendance.
- The scheme envisions a glass opera on Baakenhöft whose concentric, publicly accessible roof terraces create a walkable landscape oriented to Elbe and city views.
- Klaus‑Michael Kühne’s foundation pledges up to €330 million, while the city commits €147.5 million for site-specific needs such as foundations and flood protection, with the foundation assuming cost and overrun risk.
- An expanded pre-planning phase through 2027 will refine requirements and produce a robust cost estimate, after which the foundation will decide on realization by the end of the first quarter of 2028.
- If approved, construction could start in early 2030 with completion targeted for 2034, as officials argue a new build is cheaper than renovating the existing Staatsoper, a position challenged by heritage advocates and some politicians.