10 Feb 2010
Following a successful design competition, Arup and UNStudio have signed the contract for the design of a new theater complex in the historic centre of St. Petersburg.
On completion, the project will comprise a 21,000m2 dance theatre which will be home to the Eifman Ballet, headed by prolific choreographer Boris Eifman. The 'dance palace' will form part of the European Embankment city quarter masterplan for a new urban square in St Petersburg.
The building, designed by architect UNStudio, will include an open and inviting theatre that can accommodate 1,300 guests: 1,000 in the large auditorium and 300 in the small auditorium.
Careful consideration is given to circulation in the spacious public foyer and the transparent relationship with the surrounding public square and city. Integration with neighbouring buildings will be achieved through the building's scale - which in elevation follows St Petersburg’s typical 28m roofline.
The building will also feature an innovative façade system comprising opaque and perforated triangular cladding panels, the combination of which can be varied to allow more or less openess depending on programme, desired views and orientation. In the main auditorium, a horseshoe form was chosen for its acoustic advantages and the proximity it affords to the stage.
Arup's scope of work on this project for Petersburg City LLC will include building services, fire engineering, acoustic design, façade engineering and building physics.
Teams from Arup's offices in Amsterdam, Berlin, St Petersburg and Winchester will work collaboratively on the project, alongside Grigorjev & Partners LLC and theateradvies.
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