KRASNOYARSK OPERA AND BALLET THEATRE

In April 2023, Wowhaus won the architectural competition for the reconstruction project of the Krasnoyarsk State Opera and Ballet Theatre. The theatre was built between 1966 and 1978, and together with the adjacent square, it formed an urban ensemble and an important city center.

The main theatre of Krasnoyarsk, like many Soviet-era theatres, was originally built as a music hall and later adapted for opera and ballet. As a result, the theatre initially lacked sufficient dressing rooms and rehearsal spaces. Moreover, it was in need of a complete renovation.

Wowhaus faced the task of proposing a concept for the full transformation of the theatre, one that would allow its role in city life to be reconsidered.

The theater’s external identity lies in its resemblance. Although the building will be completely rebuilt, it will retain its recognizable features. The new theater will preserve the same height and inherit from its predecessor the shape and dimensions of the main hall, the cross-shaped marble grilles on the façade, and the colonnades on the sides of the building. The sculptural group (“Muses,” girls with musical instruments) will be relocated to the colonnade.

The theater has been expanded in size and now spans eight levels. The building’s deepened structure allows to locate below street level a foyer, a restaurant, and a theater museum. It was long dreamed of by the theater’s administration and troupe.

Visitors will have the opportunity to access the theater’s roof, which will feature a summer terrace with a screen for film screenings and live-streamed performances. From the roof, they can enjoy views of the city and the nearby geological landmark of Krasnoyarsk named the Black Hill.

The Black Hill is an extinct volcano and the highest peak in the Krasnoyarsk region. Its image is echoed in the interior of the main auditorium. The theater’s main hall is designed in dark tones, with wall panels reflecting the uneven structure of the mountain rock. A circular chandelier resembles the volcano’s crater, placing both the audience and the stage action as if at the heart of the volcano.

The main hall’s stage is easily transformable. Lifting mechanisms allow for quick moving of scenic background as well as raising and lowering the orchestra pit to the level of the audience seating, stage floor, or understage area. Special attention was paid to lighting: together with stage equipment specialists from SISTEMA, the architects developed a wide range of lighting scenarios, including reverse projection.

In addition to summer leisure options, a winter scenario has been designed for the square of Siberia’s largest city. In winter, the theater square will feature an ice rink, and market stalls can be set up between the pavilions.

One level below the Main hall, there will be a Universal hall which is a fully transformable space suitable for hosting everything from a chamber performance to an exhibition, conference, or private event.

In the 1960s, the theater and the square were conceived as a unified ensemble and a center of urban life. Restoring this connection and returning significance to the theater square was important to the architects. The square will feature pavilions with cafés, ticket offices, and a tourist center. The pavilion roofs will be designed as green amphitheaters, seamlessly rising from the ground.

The architects aimed to preserve the connection between the square and the embankment while expanding the pedestrian area. To achieve this, vehicle access to the square will be blocked, and the parking will occupy two underground levels beneath the square.