Praha
Project: 2025
Realisation: 2025
Author: Marcela Steinbachová, Pavel Směták

investor: Divadlo v Dlouhé

The renovation focused on the main hall of the theater, which is located in the city palace built in the art-deco style in the late 1920s. The design follows the then concept of the operetta interior in the basement, which was conceived eclectically and connected the Baroque shapes of the balconies and ceiling with the delicate details of the grilles and paintings. The interior was described in the contemporary press as pleasantly surprising. "The walls are kept in warm English red, painted with silver filigree and ivory. The railings are silver. Silver is also repeated in a discreet form in the lighting fixtures, fireplace grilles, fittings, etc." This original interior design gradually disappeared in layers of repainting and due to the great flood in 2002, after which the theater was completely renovated. The interior was designed in a distinctive red color of the seats and carpets, which were complemented by gray wall surfaces and gold details of metal elements.

The new reconstruction of the hall was necessary primarily due to the retired seats and is also related to the change in the artistic direction of the theater; the shape of the auditorium elevation was not changed and the floor was not structurally interfered with. 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 color shades of English red and allows the events on the stage to stand out. The principle of the then color of selected elements is preserved - a light strip of the balcony and ceiling with lighting and a darker back plan of the auditorium. The richer red painting is covered with a delicate linear decor, continuing the original concept with ornaments. The choice of the color of the carpet and seat upholstery is also based on the unified value. The details use gray-silver paint for the grilles.

An atypical, simple-shaped seat was designed for the hall, which was based on the previous ones with an extension of the seat. The color of the seat upholstery and the staining of the plywood parts of the armrests are always unified by the same shade, a softer reddish color for the parterre, and a neutral gray for the balcony.

The reconstruction of the hall is the first significant step towards the renovation of the entire interior of the theater. The renovation of other spaces is planned in the next stage.