A Place of Encounters, Creativity, and Innovation
The
Helmut List
Halle
he Helmut List Halle (HLH) is a unique project in the
heart of Graz’s cultural scene. It was opened in Janu-
ary 2003 as part of the “Graz 2003” Cultural Capital of
Europe. The grand opening of the former factory building took
place with the first staged production of the work “Begehren”
(Desire) by Beat Furrer and the stage design of Zaha Hadid.
Subsequently, the HLH quickly established itself as a major
performance venue for a wide variety of art forms in Graz.
The impetus for the construction of the Helmut List Halle was
the urgent need for a new, very specific venue for the “stei-
rischer herbst” and Styriarte festivals. It was brought into be-
ing through the creative collaboration of engineers and artists
in a construction period of just ten months.
The project combined the expertise and passion of conduc-
tors, composers, artists, and engineers like Nikolaus Harnon-
court, Beat Furrer, Gerd Kühr, Bernhard Land, Prof. Karlheinz
Müller, Mathis Huber, and AVL CEO Prof. Helmut List. The
unique interplay of technology and art created a symbiotic art
and science project that remains pioneering to this day.
What really makes the concert hall stand out is its flexibility. It
provides the basis, shell, and technology for what art wants to
show – and with as few spatial restrictions as possible, and
only those that are most necessary. This inspires and has, not
least thanks to continuous development, made the Helmut
List Halle a cultural hotspot for 20 years – one that you can’t
imagine Graz without.
With the Helmut List Halle, architect Markus Pernthaler cre-
ated a new standard for contemporary performance spaces.
Whether avant-garde or classical, the Helmut List Halle offers
optimal conditions for artistic performances of all kinds while
also meeting the strict criteria of opera houses around the
world.
However, it is not only the building that is appreciated, but also
the fundamental idea that has been resonating ever since its
realization: Daring to try new things and knowing about the
importance of meeting places that facilitate exchange and cre-
ativity. The development of the Smart City district surrounding
the Helmut List Halle in recent years has also underlined the
importance of the Helmut List Halle as an artistic center and
meeting place. From the very beginning, the venue has been
constantly reinventing itself and adapting to the increasing
demands for events such as the Styriarte, the PSALM festival,
or the “steirischer herbst” festival.
The vision of the Helmut List Halle, to form the basis for
creative encounters and to produce something new in col-
laboration with art, has clearly been fulfilled. Under the motto
“Art Meets Science”, the Helmut List Halle has evolved into a
unique meeting zone where creativity, inspiration, passion for
art, and innovation come together. Its contribution to the pro-
motion of art and artistic creativity is indispensable, and it will
continue to be a driving force for the development of culture in
the future.
In order to provide even more space for art and artists in the
future, an annex to the HLH opened in fall of 2023.
The new management team of the Helmut List Halle: Günther
Reicher and Christoph Baloch. We would like to express our
sincere thanks to Erwin Hauser for his many years of success-
ful commitment to this extraordinary venue.
SPECIAL EDITION