This is to be one of the most modern theater buildings in Europe. On April 1, 2022, TR Warsaw announced a tender for a general contractor to build a new edifice on Defilad Square. The building is the second part of the complex designed by Thomas Phifer, next to the Museum of Modern Art.
The new headquarters of one of Poland's best-known theaters will be built on Defilad Square, in the very center of Warsaw, next to the building of the Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw. The construction of the TR Warszawa theater is another in a series of public investments being carried out in the very center of Warsaw - as part of the New Center of Warsaw project.
black and white
photo: TR Warszawa press materials
The building permit for the theater building became final at the end of January 2021, paving the way for the next stage of the investment process. The contractor selected in the tender will build a theater building with a total area of just over 15,000 sq.m., designed by the architectural firm Thomas Phifer and Partners from New York in partnership with the Polish studio APA Wojciechowski and Buro Happold. Construction is financed from the budget of the City of Warsaw. The investor expects the building to open in the fall of 2026. As of 2019, construction of the white concrete block of the MSN is underway. TR Warsaw will stand closer to the Palace of Culture and Science and the two buildings will be connected by a common forum - an open public space.
Europe's most modern
photo: TR Warszawa press materials
The TR Warszawa building on Defilad Square will be one of the most modern theaters in Europe. The theater will include two theater halls with a total area of 2,500sqm, as well as educational rooms, a center for artistic exploration, residency programs, an audio studio, a video studio, rehearsal rooms, including a reading rehearsal room, a spacious foyer, a restaurant and two bars. Several hundred people will be able to take part in artistic events in the theater building each evening.
The construction of the TR Warsaw theater is another of the many public investments being made as part of the New Center of Warsaw project. It is another example of the city's investment in culture despite challenging times, including budget-wise. Thanks to the modernization and investment activities, the strict center of the capital will become a representative, coherent and green space, but also open, friendly, accessible and safe for everyone.
Aldona Machnowska-Góra, Deputy Mayor of the City of Warsaw.
open to the city
photo: TR Warszawa press materials
Thearchitecture of the building reflects the values of TR Warszawa, in particular openness understood as carrying out explorations and taking artistic risks, introducing new ways of theatrical expression into wide circulation, as well as transparency, mobility and eliminating barriers. The theater's architecture will reflect the diverse activities of TR Warszawa, combining experimental theater with performances for a wide audience. The building on Defilad Square will accommodate two spaces for performances, film events, music and interdisciplinary shows: BIG BOX (a large hall) for up to 700 people, where there will be the possibility of any configuration of stage space and audience, depending on the format and nature of the shows, and BLACK BOX (a small hall) located on the second floor with 150 seats.
photo: TR Warszawa press materials
It is very important that the City of Warsaw invests in culture and the cultural development of our city. Designed by the New York-based team of Thomas Phifer and Partners together with APA Wojciechowski and Buro Happold, the building will be one of the most modern theater buildings in this part of the world and one of the few theaters to have been built as an independent theater facility in Poland in recent decades.
Anna Klammer, TR Warsaw's director plenipotentiary for investments in Defilad Square
A unique solution will be two gates that will connect the theater's main stage space with Defilad Square and Swietokrzyski Park. This will make it possible to organize concerts and performances along the lines of outdoor events. By leveling the floor of the BIG BOX stage (the big stage) with the level of the square, as well as glazing in both halls, the city will become a natural backdrop for events taking place inside the building, as well as outdoors. At the same time, the theater will open up to the city, allowing passersby to peep into its daily work.
photo: TR Warszawa press materials
