Photography: HNK Archive
Author: Jana Bačić
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The horse from the Nutcracker ballet, the traditional nomad tent from the Gypsy, Yet So Beautiful play, the hay from the Ero the Joker opera, the construction from Don Juan, the polar bear from Turandot, the lighting fixtures from the War and Peace play, the windmills from the Coppélia at Montmartre ballet…
All the scenographic magic of the plays staged at the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb is conjured up at the complex located at 7a Božidara Adžije Street in Zagreb’s neighbourhood of Trešnjevka. Hidden from the public eye, these sculptural, pictorial, upholstery, and carpentry works are assigned a context in this transitional space, and the audience applauds them when watching the performances on the main stage at the Republic of Croatia Square.
The complex of depots and workshops of the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb is undergoing a huge makeover at the moment. The facade is getting a new, distinctive look thanks to a combination of bricks and golden paint with black elements, while the refashioning of the entire area of the complex is coming to an end. Some soon-to-be offices are waiting for their employees, and the new stage of the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb is waiting for its audience.
The long-standing spatial problems and the outdated technical-technological equipment of the depot buildings and workshops in Adžijina have long called for repair and finally gotten the answer in form of a comprehensive refurbishment of the very buildings of the complex, as well as their equipment, all for the sake of state-of-the-art operation of this national theatre company. The earthquake that hit Zagreb only hammered on the overall reconstruction process because most of the buildings in Adžijina suffered structural damage to the point of being unusable. This project, worth more than 45 million euros, is part of a wider plan to improve and expand Zagreb’s cultural infrastructure and is funded by the national budget, with the additional 10 million euros coming from the EU Solidarity Fund.
– Historically speaking, the opening of the new stage in Adžijina will be a Kodak moment thanks to the picture-perfect renovation of the entire complex. The new stage opens up a wide range of wonderful opportunities that will greatly facilitate the future operation of the theatre by means of extra space – said the intendant of the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb, Iva Hraste Sočo, adding that the theatre will finally have enough room because the existing stage, since the day it was built in 1895, has always had to accommodate all three ensembles: Drama, Opera and Ballet.
According to the intendant, the basic idea was to build another stage of approximately the same size as the main one, as well as to put an orchestra pit next to it to accommodate all performances, including those with musical accompaniment. It is that very second stage that will allow for more domestic and foreign guest performances, both in Adžijina and the principal theatre space.
The new stage and auditorium could be described as a multipurpose, modern hall of the same size as the main stage, with a capacity of around 300 seats.
– We will finally be able to present wider audiences with the opportunity to see our hit shows, which are always in high demand and tend to sell out very quickly. The new space will also lighten the load when it comes to theatre operation in general, since part of the rehearsals will take place there, as well as the assembly of scenography for the plays in the main building – Iva Hraste Sočo tells us.
The location in Adžijina once housed Austro-Hungarian military stables, and even repair shops for military aircraft for a while. The space then came into possession of the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb as a storage facility for scenography items, costumes and other holdings, as well as carpentry, locksmith, painting, sculpture, upholstery, and other workshops. And all this took place in an area of 8,868 square meters.
The refurbishment got off to a rocky start, with the biggest stepping stone being the question of how to fit the concept into the given space and the elements of spatial planning documentation, while at the same time preserving all the aspects of the workshops and depots that had to remain in operation simultaneously with the use of the second stage. However, the pieces quickly fell into place with the commencement of the necessary renovations in 2023 to adapt the two depot premises which had suffered less severe damage from the earthquake into a space temporarily suitable for carpenters, painters, sculptors and other workers in order to ensure the continuity of the production of scenography elements for theatrical purposes.
The final construction, installation, and finishing works are now underway on the structurally renovated buildings of the complex so as to make the central part of the depot and workshops of the complex operational again. The project manager of Adžijina, Lui Giaschi, M.Sc. C. E., has pointed out that the ideas for bringing the project to life are the result of a comprehensive analysis of the organisational structure of world theatres, both in the conceptual sense and in terms of modern technical and technological equipment.
– The basic idea is to enable a view of the entire scenography-creating procedure from the galleries that extend along most of the workshops in a row, as part of a complex work of art, and thus present a new dimension of the art of theatre – said Giaschi, adding that the complex that was previously completely inaccessible to the public will, in addition to construction-technical and technology renovation, open its doors to occasional educational tours thanks to the new design of the workshop space. Just the way other large theatre companies often do…
The installation of mobile telescopic stands will create a versatile space, which, in addition to its primary function, will be used for rehearsals, but also as an assembly stage for the backdrops being made for the main building, something that the spaces as they were before did not allow.
In the near future, by the end of 2025, the premises in Adžijina 7a in Zagreb will become a modern, interactive space, open and inviting to the public in the zone of universities, museums, school facilities and the future business centre of the Croatian Conservation Institute.
Three functions of the “Second Stage” project
According to Lui Giaschi, the project manager of the “Second Stage” project, the construction and fitting-out works will be completed by September 2025, at which point the second stage should be fully functional and ready to host a variety of theatre activities. Giaschi also laid out the three functions of the “Second Stage” project:
• As part of the project to completely renovate the depot and workshops, a portion of the depot space is organised multifunctionally. This space will not only be used for depot operations, but will also serve as extra space for the second stage, making it an integral part of the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb as a whole.
• The second stage is intended for rehearsals of both musical and dramatic works, and the acoustics are to be enhanced with flexible sound reflectors in such a way that, in addition to fulfilling their basic function, they also guarantee the simulation of acoustic effects similar to those in the main building of the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb.
• The third function is related to first-stage completion of all the elements of the created scenography for the main building of the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb, before the final inspection of the whole and transport to the stage at the main building.