The Jerzy Grzegorzewski Stage at Wierzbowa
The Jerzy Grzegorzewski Stage at Wierzbowa is located on the ground floor of the National Theatre building at 3 Wierzbowa Street (the audience enters from Aleksander Fredro Street).
The building which houses the Jerzy Grzegorzewski Stage at Wierzbowa, as well as the Studio Stage, serves as the National Theatre's technical building. The building has a cubic capacity of 73,000 m³ and a usable area of 13,000 m². The building houses the aforementioned stages, as well as set storage areas, a furniture storage area, a prop storage area, a costume store, and technical workshops for set production: a carpentry workshop, a mechanical and metalworking workshop, an upholstery workshop, a modeling and painting workshop, as well as administrative offices and guest rooms for actors.
According to the original architectural design, a café was to be located in the technical building. However, during construction, following a decision by Minister for Culture and Art, Kazimierz Dejmek, it was decided that instead of a café an intimate stage would be built instead. The stage’s design had to take into account the existing building conditions. The auditorium therefore constitutes a single space, without a separate area for the stage and audience. A steel tubing structure was erected above the central section of the hall, from which spotlights, loudspeakers, and other equipment were suspended.
The performing area is defined by a centrally located, hydraulically powered, single-level circular trapdoor with a diameter of 4.9 m and vertical movement ranging from 0.3 m above stage level to 3.7 m below (with a two-stage movement speed of 0.17 m/s or 0.1 m/s, and a load capacity of 150 kg/m²). Thirteen electric set lifts, each with a capacity of 120 kg, are located throughout the performing area.
The auditorium is designed in the shape of an amphitheatre. The use of folding platforms and seating arrangements allows for flexible seating arrangements in various configurations: traditional (stage-auditorium), or audience-stage-auditorium (en rond). The maximum capacity is 150 spectators. A wheelchair lift has been installed in the entrance hall for the disabled.
The lighting consists of projectors mounted to the steel tubular ceiling grid in the hall. All are equipped with a system that allows for remotely controlled adjustment of beam angles and directions without the need for manual adjustments. Due to limited access, most projectors are equipped with a remotely controlled colour-filter change system. Lighting is adjusted from a computer control room.
The stage’s electroacoustic technology comprises a sound system that ensures uniform sound coverage. It consists of a set of wireless microphones, full-range speakers, and a subwoofer; the entire system enables the creation of so-called surround sound.
The Theatre's technical building, located at 3 Wierzbowa Street (which houses the Jerzy Grzegorzewski Stage and the Stage Studio), is connected to the main Theatre building at 3 Teatralny Square by an underground tunnel running beneath Wierzbowa Street and it serves as a transport route for scenery. The Theatre buildings and the underground passage are protected by a modern fire detection and alarm system, which controls fire protection systems, including a sprinkler system, a ventilation system, and smoke extraction systems. The system is monitored 24 hours a day by the Theatre Emergency Service, which provides fire protection at both the National Theatre and the Grand Theatre (the National Opera).
