Bicycle shed gives way to redundant office of The Symphony Orchestra

650,000 euros. The municipality of Enschede is prepared to lend that amount to HET Symfonieorkest. Not for a special cultural project in the city, no, for a renovation. Not surprising, as municipalities, after all, prefer to invest in bricks and mortar rather than culture. But in this case, we are talking about very special bricks. According to director Harm Mannak, the barely used bicycle shed needs to be converted into office space. This is what the orchestra lacks. Moreover, Mannak hopes the conversion will make a positive contribution to safety around the Music Centre. Walls and bars of the shed will be replaced by large windows.

What on earth does an apparently barely used bike park and the desire for more office space have to do with safety around the Music Centre? Will it be safer if people walk past not a bike shed but an office? No one is behind that glass after 17:00, and the feeling of insecurity plays a lot less during the day.

So is this security contribution mere PR from a director who wants to borrow money?

Not quite, as several studies show that people perceive a blind wall in a street as safer than a fence with a dark space behind it.

But... a single-stone wall with a door in it also works. And is many times cheaper. Can you just keep a bike shed behind it and maybe make it accessible for the students of the conservatory as well, because on the pavement in front of it is a tangle of bikes.

Why does the orchestra need extra office space in the first place? Most cultural institutions have actually been making do with fewer office staff since Rutte I. Should perhaps all those fundraisers be bringing in money from the remodelled bike shed? After all, next year, the orchestra should depend on grants for only 50%, the rest bring it in themselves. Or will that be the new headquarters of Aurora Musical Theatre Productions?

In any case, it is clear that all those office staff of HET Symphony Orchestra apparently do not come by bike. And that in the middle of town. With Enschede Central Station literally a stone's throw away.

But there is more, especially literally a stone's throw away. Because there you will find the former National Music Theatre, now aptly named Wilminktheatre. And in that beautiful building, the third floor, originally planned as office space for that entire National Music Quarter, is virtually empty. Salient detail: the Music Centre is even connected to the Wilminktheatre with an expensive glass walkway that is barely used.

That travel opera and orchestra do not want to share office space after the attempted hostile takeover of one by another, we can understand that, but of the synergy sold to city and country between theatre, conservatoire, orchestra, music school, pop stage and travelling opera, nothing is left now either.