New start for the Salle Modulable project in Lucerne
The Salle Modulable Foundation and Butterfield Trust (Bermuda) Ltd, as trustee of the Art I Trust, have announced the relaunch of the project for a modular opera house in Lucerne. It is intended to fulfill the vision of the late Christof Engelhorn.
According to a press release, the declared aim of the Salle Modulable Foundation and Butterfield Trust is to construct a building with a modular, flexibly adaptable performance space in the center of Lucerne. The new theater is intended to provide an internationally recognized platform for productions and creative experimentation in the fields of opera, musical theater, dance and drama. The project is to be realized as part of the New Theatre Infrastructure (NTI).
In the past, Butterfield Trust has already paid CHF 5.75 million for the preparatory work for the project planning of the Salle Modulable. The remaining financial obligations of Butterfield Trust will therefore amount to CHF 114.25 million if the Salle Modulable is realized. After deducting further costs for project planning, legal, accounting and administration, current estimates suggest that around CHF 80 million will ultimately be available for the construction of the new modular theater in Lucerne.
In an initial phase, which is to be completed within the next twelve months, the consulting firm Arup USA Inc. will examine the technical feasibility of the project. Arup will also estimate the costs for the construction and operation of the Salle Modulable and identify the legal and political conditions that must be met for its realization. According to the agreement, a further three years will then be available to fulfill all financial and political conditions for the project.
