Ruhrtriennale 2011, Ruhr area (DE)
“Ruhrtriennale” is the international festival of the arts held in the Ruhr region of Germany. The event has traditionally been held at the sites of industrial monuments of the region, which were transformed into event locations for music, theater, literature and dance for the IBA (International Building Exhibition) Emscher Park between 1989 and 1999. The idea of combining a festival of culture with the industrial heritage of the region found much positive resonance. Since 2002, the “Ruhrtriennale” has been held annually.
The event organizers Kultur Ruhr GmbH tasked NUSSLI with installing grandstands for three separate event locations for the 2011 Ruhrtriennale. The Gladbeck location, where Macbeth was to be performed, proved particularly challenging. The grandstand had to be constructed on sloping terrain with various staircases, and included overlays over existing structures, requiring the installation of bridging girders. Furthermore, construction inside the listed “Machine Hall” building needed a lot of attention to detail, so as not to damage the structure. The 10-man installation crew constructed the highly complex grandstand system in 2 days on and around an Art Nouveau gallery. Some of the material had to be carried on foot over long distances, as forklifts could not be used on site.
Another event location was the Turbine Hall of the Jahrhunderthalle in Bochum. The hall houses two historical turbines - one from the 1930ies and the other from 1958, which meant that here too, work had to be carried out with utmost care. The NUSSLI team had very little space to work with, but successfully constructed a grandstand with various bridging girders, which were required so that emergency escape routes could be provided.
Another grandstand for 300 spectators was constructed in the “Blower Hall” in Duisburg. Here too, the use of forklifts was impossible, as the event room, which had been renovated extensively, was located on the upper floor of the building.
Ruhrtriennale 2011
