The rotating auditorium has been in Krumlov for 56 years, and it is a thorn in the side of the conservationists

Prague - Selection of key information about the revolving auditorium in the castle theater in Český Krumlov (the Ministry of Culture committee decided today that the revolving stage will remain in the same place; an architectural competition will be announced for its new design):

— The revolving auditorium, with a current capacity of 650 seats, has been part of the theater located in the garden of Český Krumlov Castle since 1958.
— It was designed by screenwriter Joan Brehms, who was an artist in the České Budějovice theater after the war. Audiences sit on the so-called revolving stage, which can move from side to side during performances.
— The first performance on the revolving stage was Jirásek's Lucerna on June 9, 1958. At that time, it accommodated only 60 spectators, and 40 people were needed to move the stage. However, just a year after its creation, the auditorium's capacity increased to 400, and starting in 1960, electric motors replaced human power.
— The current appearance of the auditorium was established during a reconstruction from 1989 to 1993, which again increased its capacity. Four electric motors were installed for the movement of the revolving stage. Today, all the technology is controlled from a booth above the auditorium. The South Bohemian Theater from České Budějovice performs here primarily.
— After Krumlov was placed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1992, representatives of this organization raised objections against the revolving auditorium. They were concerned about the fact that the stage is located near the Bellarie villa, which is the most valuable structure of landscape architecture in the Czech Republic. According to heritage officials, the authentic space of the baroque garden is thus disturbed.
— At that time, the state agreed to remove the revolving stage by spring 1999. The Ministry of Culture later extended the deadline several times. In 2010, representatives of the Ministry of Culture, the city, and the South Bohemian Region agreed that the stage would remain in its place until 2015.
— However, UNESCO again called for the Czech Republic to expedite the dismantling of the revolving auditorium. A part of the public, however, received this extreme option critically, and thousands of people expressed their opinions in a petition.
— The Ministry of Culture decided today that the revolving stage will remain in the same place in the garden. The auditorium must be removable, and an architectural competition will be announced for its new design.
— The owner of the castle garden is the state, specifically the National Heritage Institute; the revolving auditorium belongs to the city of České Budějovice, and the operator of the stage is the South Bohemian Theater.
— The revolving stage is among the leading European outdoor theater venues. It attracts around 50,000 visitors each summer. Many personalities have collaborated on productions here. For example, the star Argentine tenor José Cura performed in the opera Komedianti.