In the Kreativquartier (creative quarter) on Dachauer Strasse, between urban gardening and wild growth, colorful studio containers and workshops, a strikingly modern building surprises: the schwere reiter theater, built from rusty supporting pillars and a multi-disciplinary venue for dance, theatre and music.
“Do you want to play?” ask the children who play tag and hide and seek between the wooden slatted planters in the community garden during the day. A smiling sun is emblazoned on a façade above the words “The truth is the future.” In the evening, the artists of the Atelierhaus invite you to visit their studios in one of the abandoned industrial buildings on the site.
It is rare to experience such openness towards curious guests as here in the Kreativquartier on Schwere-Reiter-Strasse, which has also been home to Munich's independent theater scene for years.
The location in the middle of this urban wilderness had a decisive influence on the architecture of the new theater building from the early 2020s. The Munich architects Mahlknecht and Herrle took the liberty of using rusty iron girders, which are normally rammed into the ground to secure excavation pits, for the façade of the new square building.
On the schwere reiter stage, the partner institutions Tanztendenz, Pathos Theater and scope - Spielraum für aktuelle Musik, present a multi-genre programme as well as interdisciplinary productions and international guest performances for up to 120 visitors. The theatre is not only a place for the presentation of artistic projects, but also offers plenty of space for experimentation, rehearsals, production and networking. The theater is also a permanent venue for theater and dance festivals such as Spielart, Dance, the Münchener Biennale, RODEO, the Tanzwerkstatt Europa, the aDevantgarde-Festival and Rampenlichter. If you are curious, you can find the current programme on the stage's website.
