The "Ruhr Music Forum Annelise Brost" is intended primarily for the Bochum Symphony Orchestra, which for a long time did not have its own "residence"; the local music school is also using the new building. It appeared in the Victoria Quarter, which is now being formed in the city center, not far from the train station, which should become a place of concentration of culture and creative industries. As a key, central part of the composition, the new building includes the Neo-Gothic Marienkirche Catholic Church. It was built in 1868-1872 according to the project of Gerhard August Fischer; in 1943 it was badly damaged during the bombing, it was restored by 1953. Due to the insufficient number of believers in the parish in 2002, it was “desacralized”, that is, deprived of the status of a consecrated space (a common practice in Catholicism: “desacralized” at the beginning of the 20th century and earlier there is also in Rome). After that, the Marienkirche was empty.
In the meantime, plans were being drawn up to create a concert hall necessary for the orchestra in the city, which eventually included an empty church. In 2012, a pan-European architectural competition was held, which was won by the Stuttgart office Bez + Kock. According to their plan, two new volumes were added to the Marienkirche on the sides, from the north and south. It retained its role as a city landmark, while acquiring the function of a “music forum” foyer, where concerts can also be held. For the modern part of the building, red brick was also chosen, from which the church was built, however, it is whitewashed, and its rich color can only be guessed. As a result, the new and the old are simultaneously separated from each other and have a common “material” quality.
The larger, southern volume contains the main hall - for 962 spectators, with seats located in terraces and surrounding the stage from all sides, so that there are many “first rows”, and the listener is as close as possible to the performers. Administrative offices are located in the south. From the north, a multifunctional hall for 300 people was erected for a music school. Cherry wood was chosen as the main material for the main hall, and terrazzo and copper were also used in the interior of the "forum". The total construction area is 8,250 m2, the budget was about 35.7 million euros. The customer was the Bochum administration.
