The Grand Theater – National Opera has announced a two-stage design and implementation competition to develop a concept for the modernization and renovation of the Government Box, the refreshment stands, and the public restrooms in the historic theater building in Warsaw. The winner of the competition will receive 100,000 zlotys and an invitation to negotiate the preparation of the project documentation for the investment.

The competition is a limited, two-stage design-and-build competition.

The competition task is to raise the aesthetic, functional, and technical standards of the interior of the Government Box, as well as the public restrooms in the Grand Theater – National Opera, which do not meet current standards, and whose condition does not correspond to the status of a public and representative facility. The plan is to renovate and modernize a total of 24 public restroom facilities, located from the coat check level to the Third Balcony level, spanning 6 floors of the building, with a total area of 611.10 m². The planned investment project also includes the renovation and modernization of
the Government Box Lounge, including the bar, back-of-house areas, and restrooms, with a total area of 102.50 m², located in the representative part of the facility, directly adjacent to the auditorium and the main lobby. The reconstruction and modernization of the Government Box’s interiors are also necessary due to the need to bring existing systems into compliance with applicable technical, construction, and sanitary regulations, as well as accessibility requirements for people with disabilities.

A comprehensive modernization of the buffet area is also planned, covering dining and retail zones as well as accompanying spaces in sections of the entrance foyer on the ground floor and on levels +2 and +2A, taking into account the functional, artistic, aesthetic, and material coherence of all designed elements

The study should specifically include:

• a proposal for the functional layout in the entrance area (ground floor) for the sale of tickets, programs, publications, and merchandise, implemented in the form of two independent sales islands;
• a proposal for the functional layout of the food service counters (sales area) in the foyer section on Level +2, adapted to the size of the individual areas, along with fully equipped back-of-house facilities for the storage and preparation of served dishes and beverages;
• a proposal for the development of the space adjacent to the buffet sales areas in the foyer section on level +2, i.e., mobile dining areas;
• a proposal for the functional layout of a mobile, single-person sales point for programs, publications, and seasonal materials at the entrance to the Government Box on level +2A.

The proposed design solutions are expected to be of high aesthetic, functional, and material quality, while respecting thehistorical character ofthe building’s interiors and architecture. The adopted solutions should ensure durability, comfort of use, and visual consistency with the representative character of the Grand Theater – National Opera. The interior architecture and materials used should be commensurate with the stature of a public building of special cultural and social significance, serving a wide audience on a daily basis as well as guests attending artistic and official events.

For more information, see the competition rules

Prizes

• First Prize — 100,000 PLN gross and an invitation to negotiate a single-source contract for the provision of services based on the selected design
• Second Prize — 50,000 PLN gross
• Three honorable mentions — 15,000 PLN gross each

Timeline

• Deadline for submitting requests for clarification of the contest rules (Round 1): July 27, 2026
• Deadline for submitting applications for admission to the competition: by July 31, 2026, at 10:00 a.m.
• Deadline for notifying participants of their admission to the competition: by August 5, 2026
• Deadline for participants to register for the site visit: August 7, 2026
• Site visit: August 10–11, 2026
• Deadline for submitting requests for clarification of the competition rules (Round 2): by September 1, 2026
• Deadline for submitting study reports in electronic form: by September 8, 2026, at 4:00 p.m.
• Announcement of the results of the first stage of the competition: September 14, 2026
• Deadline for submitting requests for clarification of the competition rules (Round 3): by October 15, 2026
• Deadline for submitting competition entries in electronic form: by October 19, 2026, at 4:00 p.m.
• Deadline for submitting competition entries in physical form: by October 21, 2026, at 4:00 p.m.
• Announcement of competition results: October 26, 2026

Competition Jury

• Prof. Ewa Kuryłowicz — Chair of the Competition Jury, architect, Kuryłowicz + Architekci
• Natalia Paszkowska — architect, co-founder of the WWAA studio
• Boris Kudlička — director of the Grand Theater — National Opera, set designer and architect
• Michał Krasucki — art historian, acting director of the National Heritage Institute
• Jarosław Trybuś — art historian, architecture critic, deputy director of the Royal Castle in Warsaw
• Jacek Krych — jury member, architect and landscape architect, founder of the JRK72 studio
• Marek Szeniawski — competition secretary, architect