The capital’s authorities have signed a contract for the first stage of the construction of TR Warszawa. The new headquarters of the theatre will be built on Defilad Square, in the vicinity of the Museum of Modern Art, which opened last autumn. The tender for the realisation of the investment, designed by the studio Thomas Phifer and Partners, APA Wojciechowski and Buro Happold, was won by WARBUD. The first phase of construction will include an underground section and unloading docks. Funding for the project is provided by the budget of the City of Warsaw.
When designing the building, the architects drew on the tradition of Greek theatre and the experience of the 20th century Great Theatre Reform. The designers also took into account TR Warszawa’s previous activities and its search for new forms of communication with the contemporary audience. The new headquarters is to be a friendly, safe and accessible space for everyone. It is to foster community building and the creation of a new theatrical language that meets the challenges of the 21st century.
During the signing of the agreement, the city’s Deputy Mayor Aldona Machnowska-Góra emphasised the groundbreaking nature of this event.
“I am delighted that after many years the curse of Defilad Square has been effectively and permanently broken. Today, in the very centre of the city, we have the magnificent MSN building, the magnificent Central Square, and now it is time for the equally magnificent TR Warszawa” – she said.
The vice-president also pointed out that the investment could finally start after a long process of painstaking preparations.
“I would like to thank very much all the people involved in this project, thanks to whom today we no longer have any doubt that the theatre will have its home. A spacious, modern and unique one. I must take this opportunity to mention the Museum of Modern Art, which is causing a national discussion about architecture. The TR will also stir up controversy, but that’s probably a good thing. Maybe it will be a contribution to education about aesthetics and education related to public space.”
Architecture and performance
The new headquarters of TR Warszawa was designed by New York-based architectural practice Thomas Phifer and Partners. APA Wojciechowski Architekci and Buro Happold are also involved in the project. The consortium of ECM Group Polska and Portico Project is acting as contract engineer. Thomas Phifer has announced ambitious goals for the new institution.
“We are extremely pleased to be embarking on a new phase of building a venue that will become the most important and innovative contemporary theatre in Warsaw. Together with the Museum of Modern Art, the new TR Warszawa headquarters will complete our vision of creating a space that will be a catalyst for the audience’s engagement with the arts and the cultural renaissance taking place in Warsaw today.”
It is intended that the two buildings will form a coherent spatial whole. The dark mass of the theatre is to be a contrast and at the same time a complement to the bright architecture of the MSN, in line with the concept of the new organisation of Defilad Square. The first stage of the project will include the construction of the underground infrastructure and its connection to the already existing museum building. WARBUD’s president highlighted the technical challenges of the project.
“This is an excellent project, sophisticated in terms of engineering and architecture, technologically advanced, requiring great precision already in the execution of the foundations themselves. The execution bar has been set as high here as in the case of the Museum of Modern Art. On behalf of the company’s team, I would like to thank for entrusting us with the implementation of the first stage of the investment and for the trust the investor places in us today. WARBUD likes challenges, it likes unusual projects to which it gives all its competence and experience, but also commitment and heart,” said Nicolas Dépret.
TR Warsaw: a modern stage in the city centre
The new TR Warszawa building is to be one of the most technologically advanced theatres in Europe. Its architectural design envisages open spaces and close integration with the new urban fabric of Central Square. The building will serve multiple functions. In addition to artistic spaces, there will be spaces for educational, social and catering activities. The theatre’s director, Ania Rochowska, points to the wide range of possibilities that the new premises will open up for artists.
“Warsaw deserves this building – a modern venue for the production and presentation of performing arts. A theatre that will accommodate both large-scale productions and intimate performances. A large stage, the so-called BIG BOX, will allow artists to develop their most technologically and conceptually sophisticated ideas. We have the chance to realise the vision of the Theatre of the Future that theatre artists of the early, mid and late 20th century dreamed of. And of which we – the 21st century arts community – dream today. The smaller stage, the so-called BLACK BOX, will in turn be similar in size to our current premises. We want TR on Central Square, standing between the cultural institutions located in the Palace of Culture and Science and the Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw, to be a meeting place, complementing the cultural centre of the capital.”
New Warsaw Centre gains another link
The TR Warszawa Theatre, together with the Museum of Modern Art and Central Square, will become an important part of the New Centre of Warsaw. Its black block will fill another piece of empty space around the Palace of Culture and Science, becoming part of the modern and dynamic cultural centre of the city.
Source: materials of TR Warszawa, UM Warszawa
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