Since its inception, thePolish Dance Theater has operated without its own premises. What power must reside in the institution and its creators to survive in such a situation for more than 50 years? Eventually, the deteriorating tenement house on Taczaka Street was renovated, which will give new life to the theater. Its own seat is also a chance for the city center to gain a new interesting place full of life. Poznan-based studio MOM Architects is responsible for the project. When the opening?
general renovation and high hopes
The Poznan tenement has undergone a general renovation, which was intended not only to take into account visual appeals, but above all to adapt the old interiors for the theater's needs. The official opening of the new premises will take place during the First International Dance Theater Festival "Borders of Nature - Borders of Culture."
The owner of the property at 8 Taczaka Street is the Local Government of the Wielkopolska Region. In the past, the place housed a clinic and an ambulance station. The tenement has been rebuilt to accommodate dressing rooms, bathrooms, social and technical-administrative rooms, guest rooms.... The most important will be the suspended and glazed hall above the courtyard, where rehearsals and performances will take place. The auditorium will be able to seat 150 spectators at a time.
We are currently a regular guest at the Ballet School. We sublet this studio during the hours it can be made available to us. Having our own premises, we will work during the time we set for ourselves. The same goes for staging performances. We will be in full command of our own time and capabilities. The new premises will also allow us to organize pre-premiere press rehearsals for the media and invite guest companies," enumerates Iwona Pasinska, director of the Polish Dance Theater, in an interview with GW.
VISUALIZATION | © MOM Architects
I have heard repeatedly about the homelessness of the Polish Dance Theater. I made a promise that the institution would find its place in Poznan. This will happen soon. We are looking forward to the moment when this building will be put into use. I think it will be a very interesting place in the space of the city of Poznań," Marek Woźniak, marshal of the Wielkopolska region, told Radio Eska.
Big Studio and big possibilities
A studio room (the so-called Large Studio) of about 365 sqm in industrial style has been created in a 19th century tenement. In the Large Studio, performances by the Polish Dance Theater will be created, as well as performances by invited dance companies from other centers in Poland and abroad. The hall can accommodate about 130 spectators in an amphitheater arrangement and 180 in a horizontal arrangement.
© Polish Dance Theater
The transformed layout of the hall is mobile. Therefore, on a day-to-day basis, the Large Studio can serve artists as a space for lessons, rehearsals and recordings, which is extremely important when conducting online activities.
The Dancer's House, or guest rooms for the Theater's associates, is ready, waiting only for furniture and kitchen equipment. Finishing and restoration work is being carried out on the staircase. The facade on the side of Taczaka Street, revitalized in shape and form from the period of the building's construction, is ready.
© Polish Dance Theater
Finishing works are being carried out in the newly built part of the architectural complex, where the basic theater functions were located, primarily a studio and auditorium with the possibility of watching performances by about 150 spectators and an exhibition and performance area.
The modern, glazed southern elevation is almost complete. The part of the façade not visible from the street, now a link between the old building and the new one, formerly forming the outer wall of the building from the courtyard, has been preserved.
The yellow terrazzo floors in the vestibule of the tenement are ready, transitioning seamlessly into the floor of the new theater building at ground level, and floor heating has also been done there.
The entrance to the tenement from Taczaka Street is also ready. It is only waiting for the installation of a revitalized green wooden gate, which will be done in the near future. Placing the name of the Theater and the PTT logo on the facade will emphasize the character of this beautiful building.
the future is in may
Architectural care for the environment will be highlighted by a green roof and greenery flowing down the walls in the future.
The theater will no longer be at the mercy of its host institutions. A permanent address guarantees the development of a permanent repertoire and the production of performances in a completely new form. With its well-organized space in the very center of the city, the theater will host international festivals. Already in May, PTT also wants to show guest performances by the Kielce Dance Theater and the Rozbark Dance and Movement Theater from Bytom, and in June invite to its own premiere of "Romeo and Juliet" choreographed by Yoshiko Waki.
