The curtain once again goes up at the historic Staatsoper in Berlin, fresh from a major seven-year restoration. Located on the broad Unter den Linden, west of the River Spree, the grand building opened as the Royal Opera House in 1742 by King Frederick the Great of Prussia. Destroyed by fire in 1843 and terribly damaged during air raids in World War II, the opera house reopened in 1955 and began its current modern renovation process in 2009.

The reverberation effect was enhanced by raising the interior ceiling, allowing for a new reverberation time of 1.6 seconds and augmented acoustics. Visitors can once again marvel at the golden, star-studded night sky designed for Mozart’s Magic Flute, and admire the freshening of architect Richard Paulick’s post-war design. The season’s opening performance will take place Nov. 30, with the Berliner Philharmoniker, followed by a special birthday concert Dec. 7, in recognition of the building’s 275^th anniversary.

Also worth noting for visitors to the city: the Futurium, opening its doors to visitors spring 2019. Located on Alexanderufer, the science-based, architecturally stunning center is devoted to exploring new technologies such as 3D printers, and has test kitchens for researching innovative food sources. Spaces including a collaborative laboratory were allocated for exhibitions, meetings, lectures and workshops. The building itself is a testament to the future. Planned by Richter Musikowski Architekten, the structure is eco-friendly and almost zero-energy.