The Wybrzeże Theatre in Gdańsk was founded in 1946. Its new edifice in the Main Town was opened in 1967. It was this building that was renovated and adapted to meet modern needs.The new arrangement was taken care of by the Warsztat Architektury Pracownia Autorska Krzysztof Kozłowski studio
The official opening of the Wybrzeże Theatre’s Big Stage will take place on Friday, 6 October. Guests will be able to visit the building, the renovation of which has just been completed. The ceremony will be accompanied by a performance of Stanisław Wyspiański’s WYZWOLENIE directed by Jan Klata
The aim of the redevelopment of the building was to improve the quality and attractiveness of the infrastructure of the Wybrzeże Theatre. As part of the work, the so-called Large Stage was modernised. This is a building from 1967, which was built on the site of the Municipal Theatre dating from 1801. The latter was not lucky. It was rebuilt in the 1930s, but was destroyed in the Second World War just a dozen years later
Built in the 1960s, the edifice has a modernist form with large glazing on the side of the Coal Market. Its design was prepared by a team of architects: Lech Kadłubowski, Jakub Wujek and Daniel Olędzki. Since its construction, the building has not seen a comprehensive modernisation, only smaller-scale renovation works have been carried out. Over the years, the technical condition of the building has deteriorated, which, combined with technological advances, has left it significantly out of step with contemporary standards and audience expectations
This is how the building looked in 2010
Work to modernise the building began in 2000. During the work, the stage, auditorium, foyer and backstage area for artists were rebuilt. The layout of the auditorium was completely changed. Due to inadequate acoustics and poor visibility, the balconies were abandoned in favour of a cinema-style auditorium with an elevated layout. As a result, the audience now has an unobstructed view of what is happening on stage. The acoustics have also been improved
In addition, the entrance and lobby area with cloakroom and toilets and the ticket office area have been renovated. Audiences can use the entire ground floor area, where the tenants’ outlets were previously located
In the building, all the installations have been replaced and the insulation performance has been improved, which, in addition to ensuring the comfort of the occupants, will significantly reduce energy consumption. The front façade has been replaced. Artistic facilities and storage rooms were also rebuilt and equipped. The facility gained modern electro-acoustic, stage lighting and stage manager system equipment, as well as theatre seats and other equipment. The complete replacement of the stage mechanics equipment, both upper (stagecraft) and lower (revolving stage, stage latches) will significantly enrich the staging possibilities, allowing for the presentation of more dynamic and visually attractive productions,” informs Theatre Coast
In total, the modernisation of the building cost PLN 60 million. Half of this amount came from the funds of the Pomeranian Voivodeship Self-Government (30.5 million), the Municipality of Gdańsk subsidised the works to the tune of 10 million zlotys, and the remainder came from the City Loan
photo: Nate Cook, www.natecookphotography.com
source: Theatre Wybrzeże, www.teatrwybrzeze.pl
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