Curtain up at “Winterthur’s Centre Pompidou”
‘Like Winterthur Theatre. Only new.’ That’s how the cultural institution describes itself, having returned to its “home” on Theaterstrasse just in time for the 2025/26 season. Following a 15-month complete renovation, the city handed the refurbished property back to Winterthur Theatre last Wednesday. Mayor Michael Künzle and Head of Construction Christa Meier symbolically handed over the keys to the building to a visibly delighted Theatre Director Bettina Durrer. Among the guests invited to the handover ceremony was the structural engineering team from LÜCHINGER MEYER PARTNER, who supported the project alongside HSSP and EMI architects.
The building, which is unique in Switzerland, was built in 1979 by architect Frank Krayenbühl and has been a listed building since 2016. A speech praised the theatre building as the ‘Centre Pompidou of Winterthur’. Indeed, details such as the light steel truss ceilings in the foyer or the exposed, colour-coded building services installations are reminiscent of the famous Parisian architectural icon. The first major renovation in 40 years included not only the renewal of the building, stage and event technology, but also structural adjustments to improve earthquake safety, fire protection and accessibility. ‘Last but not least,’ says architect Christian Inderbitzin, ‘it was about restoring the character of Frank Krayenbühl’s magnum opus to its former glory through countless small individual measures.’
On 27 September 2025, the reopening will be celebrated with a grand theatre festival. From 1 p.m. onwards, EMI architects will offer guided tours of the building. -> Programme
