We ensure that funds entrusted to us are used in a targeted and efficient manner, so they may have a maximum impact when it comes to meeting the Foundation’s goals. We will communicate transparently with the public about our activities. The Foundation’s operational undertakings align with the principles of the Swiss Foundation Code. We will cooperate with associations and cultivate institutions as we work to achieve our goals.

The Board of Trustees and management work closely with the Board of Directors of the Opernhaus Zürich AG, representatives from the Opernhaus, representatives from the Directorate of Justice and Home Affairs, as well as specialists from the Canton of Zurich’s Building Department. Donors will be regularly informed about the project’s status.

We will approach private and institutional donors with targeted fundraising activities. Thanks to their generous support, we can make an important contribution to the future viability of the Opernhaus and Zurich’s appeal.

The Board of Trustees
The honorary Board of Trustees is responsible for the strategic direction of the foundation and oversees its activities. The Chairman of the Board of Trustees is Peter Wuffli, a member of the Board of Directors of the Opernhaus Zürich AG. The other members of the Foundation Board are the designated Artistic Director of the Opernhaus Matthias Schulz, the General Manager Marc Meyer, and Christian Berner, Delegate of the Board of Directors and Co-Head of «Future Opera». In the coming years, the Board of Trustees will be expanded to include individuals from outside the Opernhaus.

Sabine Turner, Director of Marketing & Communication and Co-Head of «Future Opera», will be responsible for managing the foundation.

The founders
Christian Berner
Marc Meyer
Matthias Schulz
Sabine Turner
Peter Wuffli

(as of 1.2.2024)

Planning the future of the Opernhaus means more than just thinking about the building and operations. «Future Opera» should provide added value for residents, in the tourism sector, and with an eye to urban development. To this end, we launched a dialogue process in summer 2023 with numerous workshops, expert discussions, and an online survey. A total of 780 people participated, and enthusiastically and actively contributed to a shared vision for the future: employees, regular audience members, friends, shareholders, individuals the neighborhood, experts from the cantonal and municipal administration, persons from Zurich’s cultural institutions, members from our Club Jung, alongside representatives from city and cantonal politics, as well as residents and guests who gathered on Sechseläutenplatz on the occasion of «oper für alle».

• Documentation for «Dialogue Future Opera» can be viewed here.
• The presentation of the results in video format is linked here (only available in German).

During the dialogue, the project’s vision was discussed, expanded, and approved. The following objectives were set out in a revised vision: The new extension will be developed into a «cultural building» with a new laboratory stage for contemporary music and dance theater, with the Bernhard Theater, as well as more space for education and participation. The new building’s publicly accessible rooms and rooftop terrace will also become accessible meeting places for groups of all ages and social classes, even beyond performance visits. It will provide a physical location that allows space for insights into the Opernhaus’ work and enable audiences to meet artists. A new catering vendor will further support the house’s open atmosphere. With visionary architecture and resource-conserving construction methods, the building will further enhance the lakefront and the Sechseläutenplatz and attract attention.

In the «Developing existing structures» study, experts examined the extent to which the existing structure can be incorporated into the development project. As a result, a total demolition was ruled out, in order to prevent ecological and economic disadvantages, and to avoid a longer construction period. A complete demolition could also cause considerable damage to the adjacent older building. The study found that 63% of the greenhouse gas emissions generated during construction would be attributable to the massive underground concrete basin in which the current building and its three lowest levels stand. The preservation of this shell structure, as is now stipulated in the competition program, significantly improves the project’s ecological impact. In addition, other parts of the underground shell structure can be retained while a new building is constructed above ground, changing the urban landscape on Lake Zurich.

The complete «Developing existing structures» study can be viewed here(only available in German).

In a study, theater planners have shown that the Opernhaus needs 60% more space to operate in line with current standards. More than 100 rooms have partially or grossly unacceptable working conditions. In order to promptly remedy acute occupational safety violations and workplace design requirements, and provide initial relief for employees, a temporary bridging structure will be built on the roof of the extension building in summer 2024. Planning permission for this was granted in December 2023. The design, by architectural firm EM2N, envisages a temporary single-story, pavilion-like wooden structure with 330 square meters of usable space. The emphasis is on flexibility, functionality, and reusability elsewhere. The roof structure blends in well with the overall look of the corner of Utoquai and Falkenstrasse. The total costs are expected to be CHF 4.57 million, of which the canton will cover a maximum of CHF 3.7 million.