In 2022, with the support of the media agency “Center,” the government of the Republic of Tatarstan organized an open international competition for the development of an architectural concept for the Galiaskar Kamal Tatar State Academic Theatre. The team of FORM bureau in consortium with Megabudka and Zarf architects was among the finalists.

The Tatar national theater is located in a green area adjacent to Lake Kaban. The main ideological layer of the complex is its landscape, which forms various functional areas, sites, and walking routes. The theater building was conceived as a continuation of the natural landscape, turning the space into a theatrical landscape integrated into the natural park.

The new identity of the theater was created thanks to extensive cultural research. The traditions that unite many new meanings are the basis of the complex. The most interesting architectural solution for the theater was a reminder of the precious Tatar stones “hasite”: according to local legend, the immense wealth of the Khan was hidden at the bottom of Lake Kaban. Each stone has its own semantic property and intertwines with the function of each architectural volume rising on hilly terrain. At night, the theater is illuminated according to the color of the precious stone.

The oriental hall for traditional festivals is similar to turquoise, a stone revered in the ancient East as a symbol of the power of the ancestors. The Great Hall imitates a carnelian, traditionally used as a central insert in jewelry. In the Muslim religion, it is believed that this stone protects family values.
The experimental stage of the universal hall corresponds to the amethyst stone, which gives its owner inspiration and new ideas.

The main feature of the round hall is the ability to open up towards the landscape and look outside. Its segments are transformed, revealing a stained glass window through which the natural park is visible. Telescopic tribunes can be raised or hidden around the perimeter of the central ring of the stage, resembling an arena.

The interior of the hall of the big stage is stylized for the urban environment as a reminder that the Tatar theater began from the street. From the outside it’s bright; inside, the main attention is focused around the stage and visual places. The chair textile resembles a scattering of precious stones, shimmering in the darkness of the night while the ceiling is a sky dotted with stars.

Architecture: Vera Odyn, Pavel Makarchenkov, Alexander Gabisov, Anna Novikova, Nikita Morenov
Customer: The government of the Republic of Tatarstan
Status: Conception
Location: Kazan
Area: 31 165 м2
Year: 2022