The approach of the new build is to remove the barriers between the city centre and the Rhine riverbank. Thus, the pentagonal block considers the visual aspects and allows views through to the River Rhine and the Beethoven Concert Hall next door. The height difference of almost five metres between the city and the Rhine is conceived as a ribbon-like array of landscaped terraces that connect the forecourt and ground floor of the hotel and a plateau at river level via a new broad outdoor stairway. All public areas of the hotel are set along this connecting ribbon in the fully glazed interior at ground floor level. The brick-clad solitaire above accommodates the hotel rooms and a roof-top bar. Outside, the terraces sloping away from the hotel form a city stage that faces the Rhine. Based on the musical history of Beethoven’s birth place, the stage can be used for concerts, open-air cinema shows, readings and many other events.