Rauchmühle: Business instead of culture – salzburg.ORF.at
Business
In the city of Salzburg, the construction of the Rauchgrund is quickly completed: 220 apartments have already been occupied and the historic Rauchmühle building is about to be handed over. Originally, there were supposed to be rehearsal rooms for the independent cultural scene – but that was too expensive for the ÖVP, and now ten companies are moving in there.
There are old walls with a modern interior and painting, the architecture of the revitalized Rauchmühle is intended to reflect history and modernity. “We wanted to make history visible in this place and that was very time-consuming. Today it looks raw – but that required a lot of craftsmanship, planning and creativity,” says Bernhard Ölz, CEO of Prisma-Holding.
The Prisma Group invested 24 million euros in the modernization of the Rauchmühlen building – ten entrepreneurs from Salzburg’s creative and digital industries were quickly found as tenants. “Of course, we have been on the road economically in difficult times and we will probably be in times that are considerably more difficult – it works out for us, we have the right users and in partnership with the users we are also on the road economically,” said Ölz.
Political majority overturned culture project
The Rauchmühle was once intended for cultural workers – rehearsal rooms for theater and choir groups was the plan of the city. That was overturned by the ÖVP majority. “Of course it’s a pity that this project no longer had a political majority, but I wasn’t elected to continue whining forever, but to look for other solutions and, in this case, a solution that has a political majority.” Culture Advisor Bernhard Auinger (SPÖ).
It was a great missed opportunity, said Thomas Randisek from the umbrella organization of Salzburg cultural sites. “It would also have been an opportunity to upgrade the district and, among other things, to bring in a cultural center. It’s a pity, but you can’t cry for the milk that’s been spilled,” said Randisek.
New rooms in slimmed down form
The promised rehearsal rooms are created in the new commercial area on the Hannak grounds in Salzburg Gnigl - in a slightly slimmed down form. “Every theater has workshops to design stage sets and that’s missing here – in our opinion that’s the big shortcoming,” said Randisek. “You have to make compromises,” said Auinger. It just needs political majorities and it can still grow. The rehearsal rooms for the free culture should be ready for occupancy at the beginning of 2024.