Construction permit for the new theatre became final in January 2021, thus making the way for the next construction stage. The public procurement procedure for the appointment of the general contractor for the construction of the TR Warszawa venue in the Parade Square was announced on April 1st, 2022. On February 17, 2023 the following companies selected to participate in the next phase of the public procurement: Budimex S.A., a consortium composed of Korporacja Budowlana DORACO sp. z o.o. (leader of the constorium) and Przedsiębiorstwo Budowlane CALBUD sp. z o.o., Mostostal Warszawa S.A. and Warbud S.A. were invited to submit their tenders by April 3, 2023.  The final completion of the tender procedure is scheduled to take place in Q3 of 2023.

A contractor selected in the procurement procedure will construct the 15.000-square-metrer theatre venue designed by a New York-based architectural studio Thomas Phifer and Partners in cooperation with Polish studios – APA Wojciechowski Sp. z o.o. and Buro Happold Sp. z o.o. A consortium of ECM Group Polska S.A. and Portico Project Management is the contract engineer. The construction is financed by the Capital City of Warsaw.

During the first stage of the competitive dialogue tender procedure prospective contractors were qualified based on the terms and conditions of the tender procedure and selection criteria. Four contractors were admitted to the second phase of the tender (the dialogue phase). This phase included meetings with the potential general contractors for the construction of the theatre building and covered the following topics: engineering solutions, BIM modelling, organisation of the construction site and the contract. The dialogue phase was completed in September 2022. The next phase of the public procurement procedure – submission of the tenders by the selected contractors shall end on April 3, 2023. The tender shall be opened on April 4, 2023. The tender allotment is scheduled for Q3 2023. The investor expects that the procedure for obtaining the usage permit for the building will be initiated by the end of 2026.

TR Warszawa building in the Parade Square will be one of the most innovative theatres in Europe. The building, designed by the Thomas Phifer & Partners architectural studio, will house two theatre halls (BIG BOX and BLACK BOX) with a surface area of 2 500 square meters in total (including the BIG BOX with the largest rotating stage in Poland and flexible seating system with a maximum capacity of 700 seats), educational rooms, artistic explorations centre, artistic residencies programme centre, audio studio, video studio, rehearsal rooms (including a room for read-throughs), a spacious foyer, a restaurant, and two bars. Every night up to a few hundred people will be able to participate in the artistic events held in the building. 

TR Warszawa’s seat in the Parade Square is an element of a two-building complex comprising of the theatre and the new headquarters of the Museum of Modern Art. The construction of the Museum of Modern Art and TR Warszawa is one of the flagship cultural investments within the New City Centre project – a long-term strategy, executed in multiple stages by the Capital City of Warsaw. As a result of modernization actions and new investments, the very centre of Warsaw will become not only a metropolitan, prestigious, cohesive, and green space but also an open, friendly, accessible, and safe environment for everyone. TR Warszawa and the Museum of Modern Art buildings will complete the space of the future Central Square – the heart of a modern metropolis. Their launch will open new cultural possibilities to the city’s residents and visitors.

TR Warszawa is a theatre that has taken a now permanent place among cultural institutions in the capital city of Poland and is one of the most recognized theatre companies in the world. TR is a space, where the audience can catch up with the latest artistic trends in Poland and other parts of the world.  Here, in the late ‘90s, a new model for the operation of theatres in Poland was introduced. It was here that a group of female and male creators, artists, actors and actresses, operators and managers, who shape Polish theatre today, have gained their experience. TR Warszawa through its programme offer integrates Warsaw residents and visitors into the cultural life of the capital city. Among the values that TR Warszawa team follows are: trust, responsibility, openness, courage, freedom, and community. Together with other theatres and cultural institutions it shapes modern citizenship and builds the international reputation of Warsaw as an important centre of artistic life. TR Warszawa brand is recognized all over the world – which is reflected by the fact that the company has been invited to present their performances at the most important international festivals for many years now and the company and the creators associated with it have received dozens of awards. 

The architecture of the building reflects values that are important to TR Warszawa team, in particular: openness understood as a pursuit of explorations and taking artistic risks, introducing new methods of theatrical expression to wide audiences, transparency, mobility, and breaking down barriers. The new TR Warszawa’s venue is intended to be a safe, welcoming, and easily accessible space for every member of the audience. The architecture of the theatre building reflects TR Warszawa’s diverse activity that combines experimental art and performances for wide audiences. The building in the Parade Square will house two areas where performances, screenings, musical events, and interdisciplinary shows can be held: the BIG BOX (the big stage) with a maximum capacity of 700 seats, where the stage and auditorium may be flexibly arranged depending on the format and nature of the show, and the BLACK BOX (the small stage), located on the upper floor, with a maximum capacity of 150 seats.

Two portals that will connect the main stage space with the Parade Square and Świętokrzyski Park will be a truly unique feature of this building. The gates will enable the organization of open-air-like artistic concerts and performances. With the glass walls of the BIG BOX (the main stage) and its location on the forum level, the city becomes a natural background for the performances held inside the building and open-air events. At the same time, the theatre will open up to the city, by inviting the pedestrians to observe its everyday operations.

The foyer will be a space for meetings and programme-related events, a restaurant, bistro, box office, and a cloakroom. The upper floors house a center for artistic exploration, residencies, and educational activities as well as audio and video studios and rehearsal rooms (including a dedicated room for read-throughs). Technical rooms and backstage facilities are located in the core section of the building and the underground levels.

The museum and the theatre buildings will be connected by a forum – an inviting, open, and vibrant place for cultural activities and meetings in an open space. Simple, strong facades of the buildings will mark the edges of the newly designed Central Square and give shape to the more intimate internal forum, which will be simultaneously an entrance, a courtyard and, a bridge;  integrating the museum and the theatre with the new Central Square and Świętokrzyski Park.

The museum, theatre, and the forum between them will form a coherent whole. Simple forms of the buildings will contrast with the massive and striking Palace of Culture and Science and the commercial architecture in the area. The facades, constructed of simple materials, draw inspiration from abstract artworks, epitomize the creative life of the capital city and emphasize the key role that the Museum of Modern Art and TR Warszawa have in the development of the cultural center of Warsaw.

Since 2014 TR Warszawa and the Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw have been managing the project of the construction of the new theatre in the Parade Square. The new buildings of TR Warszawa and the Museum are in fact one structure. Each of them combines theatre and museum functions. Some elements of TR Warszawa infrastructure are located in the Museum of Modern art, while TR Warszawa houses the car park, docking station and part of the access road to the museum. These two buildings also form one entity on design level. As intended by the designer, none of them can function without the other.

Since April 2019 the construction of the Museum of Modern Art project has been in progress, which is the first stage in the construction of the two-building complex that will host the new theatre’s and museum’s headquarters in the Parade Square – the future Central Square. The next stage of this project is the construction of TR Warszawa’s building. In July 2020 the theatre applied for a building permit. On December 23, 2020, the Mayor of the City of Warsaw approved the construction project and issued a building permit for the construction of an architectural complex comprising TR Warszawa and the Museum of Modern Art (the TR Warszawa’s portion). When the building permission became final in January 2021, the theatre started the next phase of the development in the Parade Square, i.e. remodelling of a water main and elimination of an existing collision with an external water supply system carried out by the Capital Board of City Development. Preparation of the construction site required also additional work in the vicinity of plot no. 25/1, i.e. construction of municipal roads no. 5 and 8 KDL and revitalisation of the Parade Square carried out by the Municipal Roads Authority. In November 2021 TR Warszawa completed the compensation planting process and planted 9 trees and 68 sq. m. of shrubs in the Mjr Bolesław Kontrym “Żmudzin” square. On December 16 2021, the Warsaw City Council made the decision to increase the budget for the construction of the new TR Warszawa building in the Parade Square by 155 million PLN (by 2028). This change was incorporated into the Long-term  Financial Forecast of Warsaw for 2021-2050. On April 1 2022, TR Warszawa announced a public procurement procedure in the form of competitive dialogue for the appointment of the general contractor for the construction of the theatre. The next phases of the construction process, planned for 2023, include finalization of the last phase of tender procedure for the appointment of the general contractor and subsequent commencement of construction works.

The New City Centre is a long-term strategy, executed in multiple stages by the City of Warsaw. As a result of modernization actions and new investments, the heart of Warsaw will become not only a metropolitan, prestigious, cohesive and green space but also an open, friendly, accessible and safe environment for everyone. The construction of the Museum of Modern Art and TR Warszawa complex is one of the flagship cultural investments within the New City Centre project.

On February 10^th,  2023 the results of this year’s edition of “European Best Destination” competition were announced. This prestigious distinction was awarded to Warsaw, which triumphed over  21 other European cities including Athens, Vienna. Prague, Copenhagen and Maribor. Warszawa was also recognised and awarded in four additional categories: Best Cultural Destination, Best Destination for Food Lovers, Safest Destinations in Europe and Best Destination. 

“We’ve got it! The interest of the whole world is focused on our city. Warsaw is worth it!  Our city is so modern, it develops so dynamically, it has such unique past. It’s green, comfortable capitol of free time. Warsaw is a city of contrasts, where everyone can find balance.  A city where just a few kilometres from the modern, bustling New City Centre, next to the historic Old Town, a wild Vistula River meanders through the surrounding greenery. These are the things you will find only in Warsaw! The title of „European Best Destination 2023” in not only a prestigious distinction. Winners of the previous editions have experienced a double digit growth in the number of tourists. I encourage you to visit Warsaw!

Rafał Trzaskowski, Mayor of Warsaw

The museum, theatre and the forum between them form a coherent whole, while maintaining distinctiveness form each other and their surroundings. The facades, constructed of simple materials, draw inspiration from abstract art works, epitomize the creative life of the capitol city and emphasize the key role that the Museum of Modern Art and TR Warszawa have in the development of the cultural center of Warsaw. The buildings could not be more different from their surroundings, which symbolizes a unique moment in the city’s history. 

The project encompasses not only the theatre and museum buildings but also a comprehensive vision of the spatial development plan – in  the area surrounding the Świętokrzyska and Marszałkowska streets – including the new infrastructure. The forum between the buildings creates an inviting, vibrant and open meeting place. Simple, strong facades of the buildings mark the edges of the newly designed Central Square and give shape to the more intimate internal forum. The forum is a bustling hub of cultural activities and an open-space meeting spot; both an entrance and a link – it connects the museum and the theatre with the new Central Square and Świętokrzyski Park.