Reconstruction of the main hall of the Theatre in Dlouhá

The reconstruction focused on the main auditorium of the theater, located in a city palace built in the Art Deco style at the end of the 1920s. The design references the then-contemporary interpretation of the operetta's interior in the basement, which was treated eclectically and connected Baroque shapes of the balconies and ceiling with delicate details of grills and paintings. In period publications, the interior was described as pleasantly surprising. “The walls are held in warm English red, overlaid with silver filigree and ivory. The railings are silver. Silver also repeats in a subtle form in the lighting fixtures, fireplace grilles, hardware, etc.” This original interior solution gradually disappeared under layers of repainting and due to the great flood in 2002, after which a complete renovation of the theater took place. The interior was designed with striking red colors for the seats and carpets, complemented by gray wall surfaces and gold details of the metal elements.
The new reconstruction of the auditorium was necessary primarily due to the worn-out seats and is also related to the change in the artistic leadership of the theater; the shape of the auditorium's elevation remained unchanged, and there was no structural alteration to the floor. The design is based on the original period interior of the operetta with Art Deco details. The auditorium space is unified by a palette of muted shades of English red, allowing the activities on stage to stand out. The principle of the then color scheme of selected elements is preserved– a light band on the balcony and ceiling with lighting and a darker background in the auditorium. The deeper red paint is covered with a subtle linear decor that connects to the original conception with ornaments. The choice of carpet color and upholstery of the seats also derives from the unified valance. The details feature gray-silver coatings on the grills.
An atypical, simply shaped seat was designed for the auditorium, dimensionally based on the previous ones with an expanded seat. The color of the upholstery of the seats and the staining of the plywood parts of the armrests unifies in a consistently matching shade, with a softer reddish hue for the orchestra and neutral gray for the balcony.
The reconstruction of the auditorium is the first significant step towards the restoration of the entire interior of the theater. The restoration of other spaces is planned for the next phase.