RKW Architektur revealed their new opera house on the River Rhein in Düsseldorf, which is located near the Rheinturm. The light-flooded opera house, emphasizing transparency in order to develop an open affinity with the surrounding city, represents a node along the embankment promenade, “becoming not only a walkway and amusement route but also a pilgrims’ path of culture. ”The scheme’s open-plan ground floor develops from an exterior forecourt, thus becoming part of urban space, with integrated ticket offices, cafes, bistros, and a hotel lobby. The hotel, with 310 rooms, is located on the top levels, in the “peak of the dynamic load-bearing structure. ”The opera hall will accommodate 1,500 seats, also functioning as a philharmonic hall thanks to state-of-the-art technology. An extra 1000 seats in the wings and backstage area can be created on hydraulically-extendable grandstands, thus morphing the space between a classical opera stage and a central arena. The scheme’s plinth will host service areas such as deliveries, an opera workshop, and parking for 1,200 cars, as well as shops and restaurants along the promenade.