Theatre Design & Technology - May 1973 - 28

2nd. BASEMENT
23

SUPPORTING AND LOAD-BEARING STRLlCTUPE
SEALING

WALL

ANNEX

BASEMENT
Figure 2.

Plan - Basement Level. The Slovak National Theatre.

Photo by MiJoslav Maxa

BASEMENT
Legend:
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Air conditioning space
Refreshment Room (snack bar)
Lavatory (Ladies, Gentlemen)
Central cloakroom
Cloakroom
Orchestra pit
Low-voltage current switch room
Ward Leonard set
Lower stage

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Stage lighting switch room
Central control panel
Emergency lighting storage battery
Safe
Gas service pipe
Elevator
Draperies
Heating E.R.
Er plunger elevator

and all data should be tenaciously and purposefully
gathered while waiting for the time when conditions for
the realisation of a new building become ripe. This path
is sim ilar to one followed by the Bmo Opera House as
well although its old theatre did not undergo any major
reconstruction.
As has been already mentioned, the old building of the
Slovak National Theatre was near the end of its practical
life. There were a number of basic defects; operational,
hygienic, fire hazards, and safety hazards which had to be
removed as soon as possible. The overall state of the building, including its technical equipment, signaled an acute
need for the reconstruction of the theatre. Th is need was
fulfilled by the finished reconstruction.
Now, let us examine the concepts involved in the reconstruction. While preparing the building program the
architect had to take as his starting point a comparison
and analysis of the original state of the building with the
Czechoslovak norm 75 52 50-the designing of theatres.
Since the balance of the floor space of the majority of the
rooms in the old building proved to be insufficient, they
were not only subdimensional (as for instance sanitation
for artists and technical personnel). some were lacking

Qill

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Set wagons elevator
Pallet platform hoist
High-voltage transformer station
Central high-voltage control room
Set storage
Control room
Props

altogether (differentiated rehearsal rooms)-an enlargement of the building's volume had to be provided. Not
many variations were available, but the architect used one
hundred per cent of the very restricted choice of solutions.
The needed space was gained partly by deepening and
releasing the basement under part of the auditorium,
where the central dressing room (check-room) was situated and by building an annex, joined to the stage by a
narrowed neck. Finally, an underground space was built
under J. A. Comenius Square. This space, 9 meters deep,
was divided into two floors. On the lower level-third
basement-there are two ballet rooms; on the upper one
there is storage for sets, furniture, decorations and props
(Figs. 3 & 4).
The reconstruction of the old building was thus
complete-i.e., both the auditorium as well as the stage
together with its technological equipment (machinery and
the scenic lighting devices). Quite understandably, thorough structural and technical research of all horizontal
and vertical constructions was made before the design
proper of the reconstruction.
In the auditorium, whose interior is safeguarded by the
Conservation Law, the stuccowork was renewed and

THEATRE DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

MAY. 1973

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