Video Overview of the Kaliningrad Cultural and Educational Complex Construction (March, 2023)

Building of the Tretyakov Gallery Branch

Outlines of the future grand staircases and escalators have appeared at the construction site of the Bolshoi Theatre Branch; utility lines are underway at the Tretyakov Gallery Branch; and facade system mock-ups have been mounted for user approval at the Baltic Higher School of Music and Dramatic Arts.

Future Opera and Ballet Theatre – the branch of the Bolshoi Theatre – will be built on Oktyabrsky Island on the bank of the Pregolya River and has unique features distinguishing it considerably from the common design adopted in the most of the Russian theatres. Due to the risk of flooding, the theatre does not have a basement, which is usually used as a storage for the lower stage equipment. The storage is elevated above ground; consequently the stage of the Grand Hall for 950 seats and parterre are raised to +12 m elevation. “When developing the layout concept we faced a challenge - how to move almost a thousand visitors to the 4th floor conveniently, quickly and efficiently, preserving theatrical atmosphere without turning it into a shopping mall”,said Dmitry Rzhannikov, General Director of STG-Zapad LLC. – To resolve this problem, the architects proposed to arrange theatre foyer on several levels and link them by grand staircases and escalators”.

Building of the Bolshoi Theatre Branch

For today, the building is already being erected at 18 m elevation. Arrangement of the 3rd floor slab, reinforcement of walls and columns are in progress. In total, the monolithic frame of the building is 60% complete. 26,800 cubic metres of concrete – including for piles and foundation slab – and 3,000 tonnes of reinforcing steel were used.

Construction site of the Bolshoi Theatre branch - Opera and Ballet Theatre on Oktyabrsky Island, Kaliningrad 

Facade system mock-ups have been mounted for future user approval at the Baltic Higher School of Music and Dramatic Arts, the monolith of which was completed in February. The building will have two types of facade – stained-glass windows and corten steel cladding cassettes. The total area of the facade work is 8,15 thousand square metres. Inside the building, walls and partitions made of gas-silicate blocks are being built and the stairwells are nearing completion.

Building of the Baltic Higher School of Music and Dramatic Arts Branch 

Stained-glass glazing of 50 m administrative tower of the Tretyakov Gallery Branch was completed; 49 window openings were also glazed. Active work is underway in the premises for installation of utilities including power supply networks. In total, 110 km of power cable was laid.

There are currently 1,200 people engaged at the three sites, which have a total built-up area of 127,300 square metres. Eight tower cranes were involved.

Background:

Oktyabrsky Island in Kaliningrad also hosts:
- the Tretyakov Gallery Branch – 14 exhibition halls with a total area of 4.4 thousand square meters;
- Opera and Ballet Theatre (branch of the Bolshoi Theatre) – a large audience space with 950 seats, a small audience space with 300 seats;
- Baltic Higher School of Music and Dramatic Arts (branch of the Russian State Institute of Performing Arts) for 150 seats.

Construction of the Cultural and Educational Complex in Kaliningrad is being carried out by Stroytransgaz Group as commissioned by the National Cultural Heritage Foundation for Social and Cultural Projects.