Theatre Design & Technology - May 1973 - 33

measures 13 meters. The cou nterweight system was supplemented by new double purchase electrical and manual
sets. In the rear of the stage a new safe has been installed
for the storage of reeled prospects (rolled drops).
Further the whole stage lighting system was exchanged
for a modern imported system.
The transport of sets, decorations, furniture and props
from theatre workshops has been most ingeniously solved.
The set cars descend on a large hydraul ic gear platform
hoist from J. A. Comenius Square directly down into the
set storage rooms located in the second basement. The
sets are further delivered on pallette trucks to their
storage berths.
For the moving of these stage-settings onto the stage
there is another freight lift, opening on the backstage.
These operations are economical and reduce the physical
exertions of the technical personnel.
The orchestra pit was also enlarged by 1 meter around
its entire circumference and its floor can be raised to the
level of the stage floor. Entrance spaces for artists are
contiguous with the stage and are joined with it by
sufficiently large openings.
The stage communicates with the annex by a corridor,
serving as the principal horizontal connection on the
perimeter of the stage. Similar corridors are also located
on all the floors of the old building where they join the
central corridor in the annex. The vertical connection is
maintained by the original stairways together with two
new elevators designed for 6 persons each.
The side wings of the old building (on both sides of the
stage) are used as dressing rooms for male and female
ballet soloists, corps de ballet members and supers.
Further spaces here include costume stores and in the
basement, musicians' dressing rooms, tuning rooms and
space for the opera's technical equipment; (central switchboards, emergency lighting and storage batteries, the
stage lighting switch room, air conditioning, etc.).
The annex has three underground floors, four upper
floors and a mezzanine. As we have al ready stated, in the
third basement there are two ballet rooms, the air conditioning engine room and the boiler room. The designer
placed the storage of sets and props, engine rooms (for the
heating and for elevators), a control room, high-power
transformer and switch room in the second basement. The
technicians make use of the first basement. The ground
floor is fully given over to stage operation. At the artist's
entry is the porter's lodge, an actor's waiting room, a
refreshment room for the personnel, a company room,
studios for conductors, stage directors, stage managers, the
prompter and the quick change dressing room. There are
the dressing rooms for opera soloists, make-up room, costume preparation and rehearsal rooms in the mezzanine.
The second floor is devoted to dressing rooms for the

THEATRE DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

chorus with accessories (costume rooms); the third floor
is given over to the ballet and opera management, the
dramaturgical section and to the sheet music archives.
On the top floor there is the choir rehearsal room (the
arrangement room) with accessory rooms, a room for
pressing costumes and stores of costume accessories and
shoes.
On the whole the reconstruction of the Slovak National Theatre may be favorably appraised both in its concepts
and in its realization.
The architect dealt well with the restricted possibilities
of the spatial dimensions. The mass of the annex harmonizes with the original theatre building (Fig. 11) and
its architectural expression reflects the building's purpose.
Only the lateral frontages are somewhat deprived in the
architectural sense and their contour line might have
carried a softer termination. The attunement of the colored surfaces is achieved with great sensitivity. The purple
red colour which dominated the interior of the auditorium as an expression of an older, more pretentious
period has been replaced by a scale of shades of brown
(sienna, ochre and umber) wh ich not only evoke an agreeable feeling for the audience but also produce a festive
but not a showy atmosphere.
Noteworthy also is the architect's respect for the
historic theatre building and the sense of balance he has
brought to his composition.
I am sure that architect R. Hirth gave the capital
city of Slovakia a successful reconstruction of the Slovak
National Theatre and that the bu ilding may be compared
most favourably with similar reconstructions that have
been undertaken in recent years in other countries.
*

DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT

Name of Project:

Reconstruction and building addition of the Slovak National Theatre
-Bratislava, CSSR

Design General:

The Regional Designers InstituteStavoprojekt
Studio for the Design of Reconstructions, Bratislava - Castle
Chief Studio Architect Dusan Marincek, Ac. Arch.
Chief Designer of the Slovak National Theatre - Rajmund Hirth,
Eng. Arch.

Contractor
Surveyor General:

Number of Seats:

MAY. 1973

Bratislava Building Corporation,
Bratislava
in cooperation with 160 contractors and su bcontractors

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