Designed by Jack Diamond of the Toronto-based Diamond Schmitt Architects, the new 851,575-square-foot, seven-story building expands the institution’s campus in the historic heart of the city: the original Mariinsky Theater (1860), home to the renowned opera and ballet companies, and a recently built concert hall (2006) by Xavier Fabre. Its size and scope may well fulfill Gergiev’s goal to create a premier performing-arts complex capable of mounting demanding productions. But there is nothing excessive about Diamond’s plan, which won the second of the competitions in 2009. An opera lover who caught Gergiev’s attention with the superior technical performance of his Four Seasons Centre in Toronto, the architect emphasized program above all.
Respecting the context of the city’s architecture and plan, Diamond devised a generously glazed, limestone-clad opera house with a wood-lined auditorium that accommodates nearly 2,000 seats. An enclosed bridge for people and props connects it to the existing 1,600-seat theater, a Rococo gem a third of its size, on the opposite side of the Kryukov Canal. Tests by theater consultant Fisher Dachs and acoustician Müller-BBM indicate excellent sightlines and acoustics, while state-of-the-art production facilities and daylit rehearsal studios for both houses aim to elevate the outdated venue to one of the world’s best.
You have 0 complimentary articles remaining.
Unlimited access + premium benefits for as low as $1.99/month.