The Düsseldorfer Schauspielhaus is a theatre buildingand company in Düsseldorf. The present building with two major auditoria was designed by the architect and built between 1965 and 1969. It opened in 1970.
The present theatre was commissioned by the city of Düsseldorf during the tenure of Stroux. The Operettenhaus, which had served as a venue for performance of plays after World War II, proved too limited. In 1957 a new building was proposed, for which the site, on Gustaf-Gründgens-Platz, was secured in 1958. An international competition was held in 1959 and won by Pfau. The theatre is designed like a sculpture, juxtaposed to the nearby Dreischeibenhaus. The style has been described as organic architecture. The great hall seated 900 people then, the small hall 300. Construction took place from 1965 to 1969, and the theatre opened on 16 January 1970 with a performance of Georg Büchner's Dantons Tod. In 1972 Ulrich Brecht succeeded Stroux as director, followed in 1974 by Günter Beelitz, then Volker Canaris. In 1996 Anna Badora was director, succeeded in 2006 by Amélie Niermeyer. Staffan Valdemar Holm was director from 2011, with four venues, Großes Haus, Kleines Haus, Junges Schauspielhaus and Central.
Literature
Claudia Elbert: Die Theater Friedrich Weinbrenners. Bauten und Entwürfe. Karlsruhe 1988,.
Clemens Klemmer: Meister der Moderne. Der Düsseldorfer Architekt Bernhard Pfau. In: Verlegergemeinschaft Werk, Bauen + Wohnen, 75.11,1988, S. 84–86.
Hannelore Schubert: Moderner Theaterbau. Internationale Stationen, Dokumentationen, Projekte, Bühnentechnik. Stuttgart 1971,, S. 168–170.
Hans Schwab-Felisch: Das Düsseldorfer Schauspielhaus mit 135 Abbildungen. Düsseldorf 1970, .
Hans Schwab-Felisch: Fünfundsiebzig Jahre Düsseldorfer Schauspielhaus 1905–1980..
Julius Niederwöhrmeier: Das Lebenswerk des Düsseldorfer Architekten Bernhard Pfau 1902–1989. Stuttgart 1997,, S. 263–292.
Markus Brüderlin : Archiskulptur. Dialoge zwischen Architektur und Plastik vom 18. Jahrhundert bis heute. Ausst. Kat. 3. Oktober 2004–30. Januar 2005 in der Fondation Beyeler in Riehen. Basel, Ostfildern-Ruit 2004,
Paul Ernst Wentz: Architekturführer Düsseldorf. Düsseldorf 1975, Objektnr. 12,.
Peter Adamski: Mutation. In: Stattzeitung Nr. 165 S. 4–5.
Winrich Meiszies : Jahrhundert des Schauspiels. Vom Schauspielhaus Düsseldorf zum Düsseldorfer Schauspielhaus. Düsseldorf 2006,, S. 7–31/149–155/182–187.