The Anneliese Brost Musikforum Ruhr is home to the Bochum Symphony Orchestra and the city's music school, which shares a multifunctional hall on the site. Stuttgart-based architects Bez + Kock achieved a masterful integration of the decommissioned neo-Gothic St. Mary's Church, flanking it with two new wings clad in whitewashed brick and punctuated by copper-framed window openings. Vertical cuts between the structures define distinct functional zones. The remarkable complex is enveloped on all sides by a generous, brightly paved plaza.

The former church now serves as the forum's central foyer and anchors the entire complex—defining its identity, urban presence, and functionality. The Musikforum's main entrances are seamlessly integrated into both sides of the apse, the church's former altar niche. Lighting designer Cut Group from Heidelberg has choreographed the space using Bega luminaires to reinforce the architectural vision. Linear light patterns along the plaza's seating areas guide visitors toward the church choir, drawing focus to the forum's primary entrance. Asymmetrical LED wall-mounted recessed lights accomplish this with precision. The frames and lenses sit perfectly flush—no protrusions, no compromise.

The artists' entrance—an architecturally sophisticated zone—is defined by light modules, a timeless luminous element that sets a distinctive mood. Recessed LED floor lights traverse the new wings, transforming the ensemble at dusk and after dark. The interplay between the deep brick of the original church and the pale clinker of the new construction becomes equally compelling in darkness. Here, light doesn't merely illuminate the public spaces; it becomes an architectural language itself, clarifying structure and amplifying impact.

Electrical planning: www.gbi.eu
Lighting design: www.cut-gruppe.de
Luminaires: www.bega.de

(Published in CUBE Ruhrgebiet 04|19)