Stanislavsky Electrotheatre

When Boris Yukhananov became the artistic director of the K. S. Stanislavsky Drama Theatre, he and the Theatre Development Support Foundation, commissioned the Wowhaus to carry out a complete renovation of the entire theatre complex on Tverskaya Street, whose main building is a listed architectural monument. At the same time, the theatre’s team was developing a new concept for the venue, which was named the Stanislavsky Electrotheatre and envisioned as an important urban public space capable of hosting a wide variety of cultural events.

The Stanislavsky Electrotheatre owes its name to the fact that in 1913 its main building was constructed as a cinema. At the time, film venues were called “electrotheatres.” This origin also created challenges for upgrading the building’s technical facilities, as a cinema auditorium lacks a stage pit, wings, and other essential theatrical spaces. The solution was to integrate the technical equipment directly into the hall’s architecture. A technological ceiling allows scenography or audience areas to be moved to any point in the hall. The wall grids are essentially extensions of this ceiling: thanks to special joints, they can support lighting, set elements, or rigging between them. The entire shell of the hall is fully functional. The working area in the stage pocket is painted black, and the space can be transformed using sliding partitions, allowing the side foyer to become part of the stage pocket. The largest opening serves as the entry point for bringing in set pieces.

The authors approached the restoration of the building in an extremely delicate yet radical manner. Specialists carefully studied every interior detail and determined its age. All authentic furnishings and finishing elements were preserved; they were meticulously cleaned of layers of oil paint or plaster, restoring their original appearance not concealing their age. At the same time, many contemporary details were introduced into the interior such as elements that do not overshadow the historical ones, but instead engage in a respectful dialogue with them.

The spaces have been designed to be multifunctional, allowing performances to be staged in any area. The foyer is open to all visitors and can be easily transformed to suit artistic needs. The theatre’s inner courtyard has been turned into a versatile venue for urban events, complete with viewing galleries and a summer stage.

Based on the core principles of the Electrotheatre’s concept which is the transformability and openness, the studio also developed a project for the small stage, a fully equipped chamber venue adaptable to a wide range of contemporary theatre formats. The main design idea for the small stage was inspired by the image of a “monastic space” being austere yet versatile, capable of hosting productions of any kind.

Located in the city center, the Electrotheatre has become one of the key landmarks on Moscow’s theatrical map. The unique new space did not go unnoticed: in 2014, the project was shortlisted for the World Architecture Festival (Singapore) in the “Future Cultural Project” category.