The New Stage of the National Theatre is set to begin renovations in mid-2025, Burian stated

Prague - The New Stage of the National Theatre (ND) could be opened after reconstruction in 2028, with work expected to begin in mid-2025. This was stated today by the General Director of the National Theatre, Jan Burian. He estimates the costs to be around two billion crowns.

"The New Stage will still function fully next season. At this moment, the estimated costs are two billion crowns; we will see at what price we can contract it. Let's hope that the tender will begin soon," said Burian. He added that the reconstruction and financing must be definitively approved by the government, but that there is an agreement on the reconstruction between the theatre and government representatives. "Also because we have already invested quite a lot of money into that reconstruction, by this I mean the Czech state and Czech citizens. We already have a completed project, we have a building permit. But we also already have a completely reconstructed underground, which includes a parking garage," he added.

The building from the turn of the 1970s and 1980s is a significant representative of Czechoslovak brutalist architecture. In 2021, it became a cultural monument. The proposal to declare the theatre building a monument had been pending at the ministry for several years. The ND, in preparing the reconstruction, anticipated that the building could be designated a monument; the entire complex is located in the City Heritage Reserve, and is thus monumentally protected.

At the New Stage, Laterna magika primarily performs, and it is already preparing for the building's reconstruction. "Laterna magika is preparing two new premieres, both with foreign directors, aiming to travel more while the New Stage is closed worldwide. We are also planning dates for it within the regular operation of the National Theatre, and part of the repertoire will move to the Stavovské Theatre," said Burian.

According to the ND management, the architectural plan for the renovation of the New Stage does not change the external appearance of the building and preserves all originally architecturally significant interior spaces. It will newly open part of the buildings to the public and allow for greater use of the ND piazzetta.

The most significant change is expected for the main hall of the New Stage, which has outdated theatre technology and poor acoustics. A theatre stage with a variable arrangement of the hall space for various performances with a capacity of up to 500 seats will be created, using contemporary modern theatre technologies and variable acoustics.