New venue at Vester Alle 15 / ‘Huset’
iAs part of the 2006 budget agreement, Aarhus City Council decided that Vester Alle 15 would in future be the home of a production centre for rhythmic music, as well as a jazz venue.
Vester Alle 15 was built in 1877 by the same miller who gave his name to Mølleparken. The building was erected to house a growing collection of paintings and historical artefacts that the culturally minded Weis family of millers had amassed over the years.
The building served as a museum for many years, but as most residents of Aarhus are aware, the art collection was gradually moved to Vennelystparken, whilst the archaeological collection was transferred to Moesgaard. At Vester Alle 15, however, a community centre opened in 1973.
The community centre ‘Huset’ became an institution in Aarhus. It was a place where anyone could come and work with various materials and receive help from staff and volunteers.
Initially, Huset also housed ‘Husets Musikteater’, which presented live music of a less commercially viable kind. However, ‘Husets Musikteater’ was spun off and opened in 1999 under the name VoxHall. It remained at Vester Alle 15, but in a new extension to one of the two side buildings.
As part of the 2006 budget agreement, it was decided that Vester Alle 15 would henceforth house facilities for popular music, as well as a venue for jazz and niche genres.
Part of the budget agreement was that the venue’s annual operating grant of almost 5 million was to be cut.
The decision to close the venue’s workshops sparked a major debate in the city, but at the end of 2007 a temporary solution was found in the form of an offer of low-cost rent in a building on Vesterbro Torv, until the workshops are expected to be re-established in a new cultural production centre on the Godsbane site.
The good news is that Huset and its surroundings will finally see some much-needed maintenance carried out, both inside and out.
Plans are in place to increase the floor space to accommodate the many new activities.
The main building will house local music associations, as well as production facilities and rehearsal rooms.
In the annexe, which is to be converted and will probably resemble VoxHall in appearance, the new stage – including a bar and back-of-house areas – is to be established.
iThe matter has not yet been finally resolved.