Berlin opera house to reopen in 2017, years behind schedule

BERLIN – The manager of the Berlin State Opera says its historic home should reopen late next year following years of delay-prone renovations.

Juergen Flimm said it’s 99 per cent certain that the 19th century building on the German capital’s Unter den Linden boulevard will reopen on Oct. 3, 2017, four years later than originally planned.

The opera company, under musical director Daniel Barenboim, has relocated across town since renovations began in 2010. The works include raising the stage roof and ceiling to improve acoustics and transforming a storage depot into a rehearsal centre.

Flimm, when asked Tuesday what would happen if the opera company’s traditional home wasn’t reopened by next year, told a Berlin press conference: “There is no plan B.”