The two venues of the Braunschweig State Theatre are expanded by an additional building. The design is based on an analysis of Pier Luigi Nervi’s Manifattura Tabacchi in Bologna (1952), whose cassette ceiling and structural grid serve as a conceptual reference. In the design process, the spirit of his innovation was to be transferred into the modern construction methodology of concrete 3D printing.

For use as a dance hall, the grid is reduced to a quadratic layout and the central column is removed, creating a clear central space and hierarchy. A vaulted ceiling enables the required span and an appropriate room height while maintaining structural efficiency. The design is organized into three zones: the central dance hall, a surrounding ring of common spaces, including foyer, seating, changing rooms, and sanitary facilities and an outer circulation zone along the glass facade. The common spaces are conceived as lightweight, removable structures, clearly separated from the primary concrete structure to allow future adaptation.

The structure consists of prefabricated, 3D-printed reinforced concrete elements manufactured ex-situ. Using shotcrete instead of conventional cast concrete allows free-form shaping and reduces the need for formwork. The vertical load-bearing elements are braced columns with integrated beam supports, while shear pins secure the beams. To reduce material and weight, the ceiling panels are designed as cassette elements and can be inserted directly into the structure due to their angled edges.  All joints are reinforced with expanding mortar to ensure reliable load transfer. Thermal insulation at the ceiling edge is ensured by an integrated structural thermal break (Isokorb)