The reconstruction of the theater in Krnov will be completed in October

Krnov (Bruntál) – In October, the reconstruction of the theater in Krnov, Bruntál, will be completed for 26 million crowns. The work lasted nine months. The aim of the renovations is to increase the comfort of both the audience and performers and to reduce operating costs. The theater will have new boxes and seats, said the city's spokesperson Dita Círová to ČTK.

"The new central entrance to the auditorium on the ground floor has been completed, as well as the forced ventilation system for the stage and auditorium, which will also serve as the main heating method with intelligent control," said Petr Mynář from the Department of Investments and Property Management.

The supply cables to the electrical distribution boxes have also been replaced, and the sanitary facilities on the first floor are now complete. "In connection with the air-conditioning system, new wall cladding and balcony fronts were installed on the floor, and unused boxes have also been sealed off," he added.

Currently, the construction company is replacing the wooden stage floor with a new one made of alder. At the same time, it is repairing the plaster on the southern wall from the outside. "The next steps will include leveling the new floors and laying carpets in the hall and surrounding corridors, covering the walls in the boxes with fabric, and above all, the final installation of the new seats," Círová added.

The completion of the work is expected in October, which is about a month and a half later than originally planned. In mid-May, construction work and the installation of air conditioning were interrupted in the attic. "During the work, doubts arose regarding the actual load of the existing steel structure in the attic, its strength, and load-bearing capacity. An expert opinion had to be prepared," Mynář explained.

The municipal theater building was constructed in 1928 and represents a unique example of expressionist theater architecture in the Czech lands. Its author is the Viennese architect Leo Kammel, a student of Jan Kotěra. The corner structure is dramatized with sharp gables and wedge-shaped decorative infill motifs. Over the years, warehouses and offices were gradually added to the theater, and its capacity also changed. The original 1,009 seats for the audience were reduced to 678 in 2020 after various modifications. The restoration of the original central entrance to the auditorium on the ground floor will now reduce the audience capacity to 554.