The Polish Theatre in Szczecin

Competition design: October 2010.

Authors: Ph.D. Arch. Marek Kozień, Ph.D. Arch. Magdalena Kozień-Woźniak, M.Sc. Arch. Katarzyna Kozień-Kornecka.

Cooperation: Katarzyna Cielibała, Ewelina Krok, Dariusz Florczak, Dawid Gizicki. Orderer: The Polish Theatre in Szczecin.

Plot area: 2.9 ha.
Net area of existing building: 3 491 8 m ².
Net area of designed building: 5 310 6 m ².
Summer Shakespearian stage: 600 seats.
Multipurpose rehearsal stage: 200 seats.
Experimental / captain's stage: 120 seats.
Total number of parking spaces: 160.

Constructed on a slope, the edifice of The Polish Theatre offers one of these special landmarks which are engraved in one's memory. From a passer-by's perspective, this image emerges from behind some greenery. To those in the distance, the Theatre dominates a hill. It has just received three new stages. An observer should perceive their regular forms – conceived of a line and a circle – as a sequence of sights memorized once in a certain park.

The object of The Polish Theatre in Szczecin is expected to act as a space of theatrical presentations as well as a place of activity zones for various groups of participation in culture and to become a friendly, open and flexible space integrated with the surrounding urban space.

On one hand, a theatre requires openness and connections with the surrounding functions; on the other hand – considering its character – isolation which would minimize impediments for the local residents. Such a dichotomy needs a spatial solution encouraging people to enter the green park area maximally separated from the surrounding streets and residential buildings.

These programmatic assumptions guide the authors' intentions accepted in the design:
- to aim at creating a cooperative complex of the objects of The Theatre connected by a green layout
- to incorporate open green areas into the range of the impact of the theatrical objects
- to integrate the external and internal spaces of the theatre
- to create a maximally open and accessible space on the ground level