"Or take Cologne's opera house. Built in the 1950s as a symbol of modern democracy, it was a cultural jewel. By 2012, it needed renovation. The plan sounded simple: three years of work, reopening in 2015. Fast-forward to today: The building, which comprises the opera itself, a theater with two stages, and a children's opera with its own stage, remains a construction site."
"Ten years later, Emily hasn't set foot in the building. Performances have been scattered across temporary venues, and frustration runs deep. The original budget of 250 million ($297 million) has ballooned to 850 million. Add interest rates and the cost of interim venues and the bill reaches 1.5 billion. "It makes me sick," said Hindrichs. "It feels like throwing good money after bad over and over again.""
Multiple German projects scheduled for short completion have taken far longer and incurred massive cost overruns. Berlin's new airport was planned for five years but finished in fourteen. Stuttgart's central station remains under construction after sixteen years. The Elbphilharmonie took nine years instead of three. Cologne's opera house, built in the 1950s, entered renovations in 2012 with a three-year plan but remains a construction site. Budgets expanded from 250 million to 850 million, and total costs including interest and interim venues reached 1.5 billion. Performers face displaced venues, prolonged uncertainty, and anger over unclear causes and missed deadlines.
Read at www.dw.com
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