At the beginning of September, the KTO Theater will begin its activities in its new premises. The stage at 50 Zamoyskiego Street in Cracow will not only provide a functional space for people and art, but new possibilities for organizing events in the garden. Artist Aleksander Janicki and architect Mariusz Twardowski and their team are responsible for the concept and design.
architecture with soul
The new theater's headquarters is a combination of a modern space dedicated to the theater with the preserved fragments of the 19th-century St. Vincent á Paulo Congregation's Hostel, later turned into the iconic Wrzos cinema, which operated from 1956 to 2016.
This is the culmination of our long journey across the various stages of the world, Poland and Krakow in particular. Here we have played in more than 50 venues," said KTO Theater director Jerzy Zoń during a recent meeting of the culture committee.
The new headquarters of the KTO Theater in Krakow, designed by Aleksander Janicki, Mariusz Twardowski; il. Piotr Sternadel, Ela Merta
The architectural design was developed jointly by artist and stage designer Aleksander Janicki and architect Mariusz Twardowski. The guiding idea of the concept was to create a multifunctional, resident-friendly space: blended into the greenery of the nearby Bednarski Park, exposing elements of the old structure.
The base of the new building is the black cuboid of the theater hall. From the front, the restored facade of the historic building will be exposed. The old and new elements of the theater will be welded together with glass walls and transparent divisions imitating scenographic pledges.
The new headquarters of the KTO Theater in Krakow, designed by Aleksander Janicki, Mariusz Twardowski; il. Piotr Sternadel, Ela Merta
theatrical functionality
The new building is divided according to the functions it will serve. In addition to the main auditorium and offices, there will be a space accessible to all, connected to a garden and a viewing terrace. Above the contraption will span an opening roof with a remote control function of the diameter of the opening in the ceiling - giving the possibility to open the hall, depending on weather conditions and the specifics of the event.
Functions in the facility have been clearly divided into zones accessible to the audience (foyer, gallery, theater hall, cafeteria) and a zone for artists, technical and administrative staff. The opening roof over the main hall will be equipped with a remote control function, allowing the diameter of the opening in the ceiling to be increased to 7 meters.Letting the "elements" inside the hall is a symbolic reference to the peculiarities of the KTO - a theater operating in an open space , the concept's authors from MM sp. z o.o. explain.
The new headquarters of the KTO Theater in Krakow, designed by Aleksander Janicki, Mariusz Twardowski; il. Piotr Sternadel, Ela Merta
In our architectural assumptions, we care mainly about the functionality of the building, so to design the theater hall in such a way that it can accommodate the maximum number of spectators, and at the same time can be freely arranged for the needs of specific performances, architect Katarzyna Szczepanska of MM sp. z o.o. told Dziennik Polski, who is preparing the building adaptation project with architects Krzysztof Tokarczyk and Kamil Danyluk.
theater in the garden, garden in the theater
From the spacious terrace at the back of the building, it will be possible to go straight to the garden, open to everyone until 10 p.m. Residents here will be able to use the touch path or the viewing platform on the side of Bednarski Park, which offers a view of the city.
The garden's area is 648 sqm. It has been designed with trees, vegetation, but also open spaces for families with children. The garden will include a mobile gazebo that can serve as a summer stage and an amphitheater for a 150-person audience, where we will play on summer evenings," said Jerzy Zon. - This is our little green oasis and island, part of our investment. It will be an unusual garden with plants and trees. We want to focus here artistic and educational activities aimed rather at the young viewer. We have a mobile amphitheater for several dozen people. The organization of events will depend on the weather, of course. There will be a tactile pathway so that people with disabilities can participate in artistic and educational activities, and we will place intriguing installations in the panel wall.
The new headquarters of the KTO Theater in Krakow, designed by Aleksander Janicki, Mariusz Twardowski; il. Piotr Sternadel, Ela Merta
theater open to the city
The winner of the tender for general contracting was the capital's Moris Polska company. The authors of the concept and design are Aleksander Janicki. Architectural design: art. Aleksander Janicki, arch. Mariusz Twardowski. Author cooperation: arch. Agnieszka Żabicka, arch. Barbara Lesniak, interior designer Maja Gralak. The entire investment (reconstruction of the former "Wrzos" cinema and creation of a garden) consumed PLN 27 million. The inauguration of the new stage is planned for September 6 - that's when the first performance will be played at Zamoyskiego Street.
The new headquarters of the KTO Theater in Krakow, designed by Aleksander Janicki, Mariusz Twardowski; il. Piotr Sternadel, Ela Merta
This place is to serve the theater, Krakow, but most of all the residents of Podgórze. We hope that in addition to our stage activities, we will make an intensive presence in the Podgórze market, Independence Square. And as early as May 21, I invite you to a multimedia happening "Poor Poles look at the ghetto", which will take place at the Ghetto Heroes Square," the director announced.
There are also plans for an open-air cinema operating in the summer, to be served by the wall of the theater building. Cinema, theater, meeting place.... In the meantime, the director lists other functions that the theater's headquarters can serve. A theater open not only to Krakow, but also co-creating the City.
