MARYINSKY THEATER NEW BUILDING

Authors
A. Skokan, A. Gnezdilov, I. Voronezhsky, M. Dekhtyar, T. Lapina, T. Badalyan

With the assistance of
K. Kanyashin, K. Berdnikova, M. Yelizarova, S. Kaverina

Address
St.-Petersburg, St. Petersburg, Dekabristov St., 34

Client
Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation

The preservation of a compositional and sense priority of the historical Maryinsky Theater building is aprincipled stand of the architects. Despite the considerable dimensions, the new building is subordinated to the existing, forming round the back facade a smooth curved line (lens) the focus of which is an old theaterbuilding.

The transparent volume of such lens, cantilevered hanging over the Kryukov channel, is obliged to make the building noticeable from Teatralnaya Square. Along channel axis from Truda Square and from Neva Embankment the new building looks like a luminous lacy lamp which marks a new cultural center of St. Petersburg. In order to preserve a fragment of the Litovsky market by Giacomo Quarenghi as some kind of«genius loci», and also the embankment as a full-fledged foot space the architects raised the main level of thetheater to 9.5 m, having placed on the ground level all elements of the complex serving for the city. Between two buildings there is a pedestrian zone where the theater entrances, the Small Hall, restaurant, shops face.

In the level of the stage there are many artistic and technological rooms. Round the auditorium there is multilevel foyer with a huge stained-glass window facing the canal, the old Maryinsky Theater building and Teatralnaya Square.