(Photo Credit: Jochen Quast)

The Opernhaus Düsseldorf, part of the Deutsche Oper am Rhein, will need to be closed for five years for renovation, per sources on rp-online.de.

Recent flooding in November has left the opera house damaged and revealed deep-seated structural faults, so analysis is taking place about the options for renovation. Specialists are now trying to determine what would be better for the Opernhaus Düsseldorf: a lengthy refurbishment or a completely new building.

In the case of a refurbishment, the opera house on the Heinrich-Heine-Allee would need to be closed for the period of five years and also considerably expanded. That would imply a significant intervention in the courtyard garden.

The options for a new building will be discussed in February, and rough cost estimates will be on the agenda of the Opera Committee in March. The current contributions to the possibility of a renovation came from the Stephan/Fabre offices, which were engaged in renovation of a Bayreuth Festival Theatre.