Mestské divadlo / City Theatre - Pardubice (East Bohemia)
N 50° 02.219 E 015° 46.657
33U E 555686 N 5543032
City Theatre (Mestské divadlo) in Pardubice, home scene of East Bohemia Theatre Pardubice ansamble (Východoceské divadlo Pardubice), is fine example of representative municipal Art-Nouveau architecture of the beginning of the 20th century.
Waymark Code: WMVCGP
Location: Pardubický kraj, Czechia
Date Posted: 04/01/2017
Views: 21
City Theatre (Mestské divadlo) in Pardubice, home scene of East Bohemia Theatre Pardubice ansamble (Východoceské divadlo Pardubice), is fine example of representative municipal Art-Nouveau architecture of the beginning of the 20th century.
Art-Nouveau City Theatre, designed by architect Antonín Balšánek, was built in 1907-1909 at the town's expenses. The decoration of the building is work of many leading artists (e.g. curtain and front facade mosaics - František Urban, Genius statue on the gable - Bohumil Kafka, medailons on the facade - Bohumil Vlcek).
Whole construction, finished on 12th November 1909, exceeded considerably the budget – total expenses amounted to approximately 480 000 Crowns. According own Balšánek´s words, by construction of Pardubice theatre „an attempt has been made to erect a theatre for middle large country cities of ours with as much small cost as possible“. Confined spending was the main cause, why architectural decoration had to be reduced to a minimum both on the front facade and in the interior. Rakovník fireclay plant provided inner cladding on vestibule walls, staircases and foyer. Electrical lighting was provided by firm Križík from Pardubice.
Theatre was extended in 1926, repaired after fire in 1931 and after WWII (1945–1948), again in 1954 and 1965, 1994 and eventually the general reconstruction was done in 2002-2005.