Two very long and hotly debated cultural topics occupied the Munich City Council on Thursday: The municipal committee gave the green light for the expansion of the Jutier and the barrel hall as a large production and presentation center for the independent scene. And the culture committee is looking for new production and presentation areas for the independent dance scene. The proximity of both cultural construction sites in terms of time and content could now tempt one to assume that the so-called dance house, which the dance performers have been demanding since the 1980s, could soon finally be built in the Jutier and barrel halls. It’s not exactly like that, even if the two are related.
In a feasibility study commissioned by the city for the Tanzhaus, which was presented a year ago and has now been submitted to the culture committee, the leading Bavarian State Association for Contemporary Dance (BLZV) actually prefers the Jutier and barrel hall in the creative quarter on Dachauer Straße. But these should expressly be available to all sections of the independent scene.
The city is spending 128 million for the general renovation of the dilapidated industrial monuments by 2026, almost as much as the new construction of the highly acclaimed Volkstheater in 2021. “The conversion of this heart is a great stimulus for the creative district,” said Mayor Verena Dietl. “Impressive presentation and production locations” are being created to strengthen the independent scene, according to cultural advisor Anton Biebl.
The barrel hall, a 106 meter long former pipe warehouse, is to be a performance venue primarily for the performing arts, with a 780 square meter hall on the ground floor, a multifunctional hall and two dance studios on the upper floor, as well as a foyer and gastro area open to the roof. In the 2000 square meter Jutierhalle, cultural and creative workers should be able to produce “at favorable rental conditions”. 60 wooden modules will be installed in the so-called cathedral, which can be used flexibly, for example as studios or rehearsal rooms.
Wooden modules are to be installed in the judging hall – they can be used flexibly, for example as studios or rehearsal rooms.
(Photo: bez+kock architects)
In the 600-page “Tanzhaus” feasibility study, the BLZV had proposed setting up 2,000 square meters of space purely for dance instead. The cultural department explained that this contradicts the usage concept, and the change would also cost too much and delay the project.
The Culture Committee also tended to reject other desired locations for a dance hall, for example in the Alte Viehbank or in the Paketposthalle. Instead, the buzzword of the hour is “Campus Performing Arts”: The culture department should find a way to bundle the dance scene in the creative district – on its own areas, in already established dance-friendly institutions such as Schwere Reiter or Pathos, as an important part in the Jutier and barrel hall, but in the network of all branches of the independent scene.