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Szczecin, Poland

Architects: Przemyslaw Kolodziej & Jason Flanagan (Flanagan Lawrence, London)
Client: The City of Szczecin (Gmina Miasto Szczecin), Poland
Landscape Architects: Przemyslaw Kolodziej (Flanagan Lawrence, London)
Structural Engineer: K2SE
M&E Consultant: B.T. Bogna Tomaszewska / ELseco
Acoustician/Theatre Consultant: Pracownia Akustyczna Kozlowski
Lighting Consultant: Qlab
Photographer: Piotr Krajewski and Bartek Barczyk

The modernization of the 1976 open – air theatre in Kasprowicz Park. The brief called for complete redevelopment making the existing theatre suitable for different types of performances, and to provide a canopy for the stage and audience. The changes include design of the new stalls for 2,700, stage redevelopment and new landscaping with several accessory functions for the back of the house. The top agora and stalls create visual links with the surrounding park. The characteristic elements of the old scheme like concrete arc were preserved.

The complex shape of the new roof follows the morphology of terrain. Advanced parametric modelling was used to define the best geometry in terms of structural performance and fabrication. The roof is covered by the innovative combination of the outer high-performance membrane, an inner layer of specialized acoustic fabric for well-balanced sound performance. The stage technology elements and lighting/illumination are hidden in the void between the fabrics.