Musical Theater in Poznan - construction begins, but there are important unknowns

Kuba Głaz

04 of June '25

Musical Theatre in Poznan - overview visualization

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Six years after the competition , the construction of the Musical Theater in Poznan will begin. A contract with the contractor has finally been signed . It's the largest stage of its kind in Poland, but... it's still unclear exactly what it will look like. The refinement of the controversial project is yet to come.

Poznan's Musical Theater has been housed in a makeshift location since 1956: it occupies part of the Soldier's House on the outskirts of the city center. The level of the stage, which has been run for more than a decade by Przemyslaw Kieliszewski, is rated highly, so all the more the Musical deserves new premises. So in 2019 an architectural competition was held for a seat in a very prominent downtown location. It is an area on Święty Marcin Street (corner of Skośna Street), between the representative so-called "imperial district" from the early 20th century and the railroad tracks separating the center from the Jeżyce district. Opposite is the well-known Bałtyk office building (designed by MVRDV). In a two-stage competition (44 participants), the winning project was designed by the Cracow studio of RomualdLoegler (Atelier Loegler Architekci).

Musical Theater in Poznań - location, view from the west, over the railroad tracks

The award-winning designers proposed a very expressive and distinctive form visible against the silhouette of the historic center. From the south, closer to the Central Station, they drew in the Water and Music Park linked to the theater - an attractive connection to the city's most important station. The competition judges appreciated

the way it relates to the surrounding buildings and the shape of the block , which fits into the panorama of the downtown district.

Musical Theater in Poznan - site for the investment - general view from the Kaponiera traffic circle, from left: Coll. Iuridicum UAM, tower of CK Zamek, Music Academy, skyscraper of University of Economics

photo: Jakub Głaz

Musical Theater in Poznań, overview visualization - daytime view of the west elevation

slip and options

We have already described the project and its history in more detail, so let's recall the most important assumptions. The building, which has an irregularly sloping roof, will feature a main stage with an auditorium for nearly 1,200 people and a chamber hall for about 300 spectators. There will also be extensive technical facilities, a restaurant with a banquet hall, a recording studio and a heavily glazed foyer open to the immediate surroundings. The red finish of the walls and furniture in the auditorium of the main hall is almost a hallmark of Romuald Loegler, who used similar solutions in his earlier projects: Krakow Opera House and Szczecin's Teatr Nowy. The total area of the Poznan theater will be 28,000 sq. m.

Musical Theater in Poznań, overview visualization - main stage auditorium

Construction was to start two years after the competition and be completed in 2025. However, it was only last Friday that the Musical Theater signed a contract with the general contractor selected in the tender: Dekpol Construction. The construction site will be handed over to Dekpol on June 28, and that's when we'll know the detailed work schedule. It is estimated that they will last until the end of 2028.

Musical Theater in Poznań - site for the investment, - view from Św. Marcin Street towards the Kaponiera traffic circle (right), the Bałtyk office building and DS Jowita are visible, the site for the theater - on the left behind the art installation (04.2024)

photo: Jakub Głaz

Why the delay? The building permit was ready as early as 2021, but funding was in short supply. So the city signed an agreement with the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage to jointly operate (and finance the construction of) the facility. More modest financial assistance was offered by the District Starosty. More than a year ago, the first tender for a general contractor was awarded. However, it was cancelled after appeals by both participating companies: the winning Adamietz and Dekpol Construction. In the re-tender, the latter company won. The investment was initially to cost 290 million zlotys. Currently, the realization of the edifice (without the park!) is more expensive by 85 million zlotys. Funding is provided primarily by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, together with the City of Poznań and the Poznań District. The press release reads:

The value of the basic order is nearly PLN 375 million gross, and the amount resulting from the option is about PLN 116 million gross. One of the options by which the general contractor's execution may be extended is the execution of the Water and Music Park. The total value (...) is approximately PLN 491 million gross.

Musical Theater in Poznan, overview visualization - shape of the body, illustration from the competition work; left: Święty Marcin Street, right: area of the future park between Skośna Street and PKP railway tracks

as long as it's not a train station

So there is a contractor, there is money, but there is also a big problem. We still don't know exactly what the theater will look like. How is this possible? Loegler's studio brought the concept to a construction project and a building permit. Then the designer and the investor (which at that stage was still the City of Poznan) parted ways. Musical Theater's deputy director for administrative and technical matters, Andrzej Hamerski reports:

We signed an agreement with the designer in a friendly atmosphere. We want to contact the authors of the project in key matters.

Romuald Loegler confirms to us this nature of the parting. What was the agreement about? Most of its content was covered by a confidentiality clause. The detailed design will therefore be the work of architects employed by Dekpol. This is because the tender was organized under the "design and build" formula. The press release reads that

in addition to the realization of the investment, the scope of work of Dekpol Construction includes the execution of a replacement design concept on the basis of the Functional and Utility Program and the replacement construction design, as well as detailed designs.

Music Theater in Poznan, visualization - chamber stage

Overall , therefore, the building is to look as before, but only now will decisions be made on detailed structural and material solutions and possible modifications to the assumptions. And these will determine the quality of the very expressive mass and its impact on the surroundings. A lump whose form arouses more or less justified controversy in the city. Critics point to too much dissonance between the Theater and the historic surroundings. Others are willing to accept this contrast, but fear poor quality. Substantive commentators from the association Inwestycje dla Poznania have been pointing out for more than a year that - depending on the systems and technologies used - the result may differ significantly from the competition visualizations depicting an expressive, yet rather light building.

The objects of concern are primarily the glass facades and the "broken" roof, i.e. those elements that will most strongly affect the perception of the block from the outside. Improper quality or parameters can make, for example, an ethereal by design façade become clumsy, while the roof contrasts fatally with the surrounding monuments. Poznan residents remember the big discrepancy between the visualizations and the realization of the nearby Central Station, and definitely do not want a repeat.

Musical Theater in Poznan, visualization shown in the competition entry, without visible elevation divisions - view from Święty Marcin Street

Musical Theater in Poznan, visualization shown in the competition, with detailed solution of the elevation from the side of Swiety Marcin Street.

helpful workshops

There are also concerns about the distinctive colors of the main foyer: celadon and red. These colors - visible through the glass walls - may enter into a contrasting relationship with the historic environment of subdued character. The Musical Theater is aware of these problems. Hamerski reports:

The designer on the contractor's side will be Cracow-based architect Marcin Kulpa. In order to make the project consistent with our expectations and the most important assumptions and character of the competition work, we intend to hire one of the experienced architects from Poznan soon. He will be responsible for design consultations with the studio hired by Dekpol.

Music Theater in Poznan, overview visualization - foyer

Marcin Kulpa is the head of Perbo-Projekt's design team and has a track record of projects including sports and entertainment halls. In the consultations with him announced by Hamerski, the guidelines and comments that were developed during the interdisciplinary workshops arranged by the Music Theater will be helpful. Hamerski reports:

These concerned common spaces and audience service. We arranged them between the first and second tenders. On the other hand, we agreed on issues related to the technology of the stage , its facilities, acoustics, etc., with Romuald Loegler's studio earlier, at the stage of work on the construction project.

colors and ramps

During the workshop, the functionality of the interiors and logistical and communication issues were analyzed. The result was, among other things, a recommendation to abandon the striking, but hardly passable and structurally difficult ramps designed in the main foyer. Workshop participants also suggested changing the colors of the common spaces (the red in the auditorium will probably be kept). The issue of colors, by the way, was raised in the post-competition guidelines written by jury members , but the designer did not make changes to the design. Hamerski:

Modifications of some solutions are also a result of the new strategy of the Theater we are developing. In line with contemporary trends, we want to be a lively place of social interaction not only during performances, but also throughout the day. We are committed to being a place as open to the city as possible. One that will strongly enliven the hitherto dead section of Św. Marcin Street.

Musical Theater in Poznan, overview visualization - view of the foyer, St. Marcin Street and Collegium Iuridicum UAM in the background, red ramp visible

In fact, in the future, after the realization of the Music and Water Park, the Musical Theater may become a link on the route between the Main Station and Swiety Marcin, the most important street in the downtown area. Whether it will be a successful building will be determined by the coming months dedicated to refining the project and its modifications. It is advisable for the investor and the contractor to keep the public informed about the progress of the work and, whenever possible, show updated and reliable visualizations. There will then be a chance to react and prevent the situation that occurred in Szczecin. Loegler's project for the New Theater was also refined in a similar manner (without the participation of the original designer) and for this reason - to put it mildly - it is very far from perfect.