A venue with energy and charisma

Dresden’s young-persons’ theater “theater junge generation” (“tjg”) and state operetta (“SO”) are sharing new premises in the centre of town. The former power station, known as “Kraftwerk Mitte”, opened in December with a variety of events and premieres, heralding the launch of the regular season in January. 

Light falls from the tall windows of the former machine hall into the lane leading to the theatre, along which children and adults are rushing on this early evening. The industrial elements dominating the foyer can already be seen from outside: old, rust-red steel girders and a machine crane – mementos of the building’s former life as a power station – cross the entire space. The long, high-ceilinged structure now houses the ticket offices of both theatres on the ground floor, the white cube of the studio theatre (seating 125) and the tjg’s small stage (seating between 125 and 180). The ‘crane foyer’, an extra level made of concrete with glass balustrades, provides additional space in the intervals, which is especially welcome when the two theatres are in use at the same time, as well as for separate events. 

The conversion, designed by the Jörg Friedrich firm of architects from Hamburg, has created an architecture of contrasts. The historical structure has been retained but interestingly combined – and highlighted – by the inclusion of modern forms and materials.   

Adjacent to the former power station, a new construction was built to house a stage for the state operetta (with an auditorium seating 700) and a large hall for the tjg (seating 350). The auditoria and stages are flanked by the requisite functional rooms on all three floors: scenery shelf and backdrop, wardrobes, tailors’, make-up and technical workshops, and offices.

All the rehearsal spaces are contained in one rehearsal tower covering four floors (height: 26.30 m above stage level). This tower has a large, west-facing glass façade, known as the ‘shop window’, providing all the state operetta’s rehearsal spaces with natural daylight. For each of the four stages there is a rehearsal stage of the same size (covering a total rehearsal space of 1835 square metres). An additional rehearsal stage is provided for the tjg’s drama school and the technical apprentices. Not only that, the state operetta now also has an orchestra rehearsal hall with a sound studio and rehearsal halls for the ballet and the choir.