The chief architect of the theater in Plzeň is pleased with the mixed reactions

Plzeň - The object of the New Theater in Plzeň evokes mixed reactions; however, according to the chief architect of the project, Vladimír Kružík from the company Helika, that is a good thing. He is not bothered by people who are outraged by the building; what matters is that the object evokes emotions. The intention was to present austere, minimalist interiors that theater artists should now shape to their needs. He is personally satisfied with the building, although he regrets how the sculpture of the egg in front of the theater ultimately looks, Kružík said today in an interview with ČTK.
   "I am satisfied. The design was materialized, evolving from one of the first studies that came from Portugal, which transformed based on requests and changes, including a complete change in the supply of theatrical decorations. We also reduced the playing areas and eliminated one side auditorium," he stated. According to him, the final appearance is a crossroads of the wishes of all involved.
    As for the interiors, the architect is still waiting for the theater to take them over. "I have heard that it is austere, minimalist, but that was our intention. We did not want to dictate to the theater how everything should look down to the last detail. We left panels that can be installed with anything; the interior is waiting for the theater to enter," he added.
    The criticism does not bother the architect. For example, the fact that wires are running along the ceiling in the operational building and that the object appears unfinished is, according to Kružík, so that the installations can be changed and worked on. "And also to show that we did not spend unnecessarily where we did not have to," he added.
    The auditorium with the main stage for 461 spectators, where the first row is only half a meter from the actors, is described as a classic proscenium theater but offers a change in that it does not have boxes or galleries on several levels. "It is democratic, completely resigning on layering society according to importance; it is not determined which place is worse and which is better," he explained. From all seats, one should be able to see and hear approximately equally well. According to the architect, the idea wins that the performance should completely dominate the audience; nothing should distract them. This is an alternative to the classic Great Theater in Plzeň.
    The only thing that personally bothers the architect is the appearance of the three-meter-high, almost 4.5-meter-long, and 20-ton weighing sculpture of the pebble or egg. "The original idea was to cover it with a mirror surface. People would then start to play with the theater before entering; the mirrored image would invite them to stop and play. In the end, we realized it in exposed concrete," Kružík stated, calling his work on the theater exceptional.
    The New Theater in Plzeň, built for approximately 880 million, was completed in 810 days and opened on Tuesday. The outer walls consist of 3,500 square meters of cast concrete panels, and their characteristic red color was imported from Canada and mixed directly into the concrete mixture. From a safety standards perspective, the building ranks just behind the Temelín nuclear power plant.