The New Stage of Prague’s National Theatre will close at the end of the upcoming theatre season.

A full-scale reconstruction is scheduled to begin in autumn 2025, with completion targeted for 2028. As part of the overhaul, the theatre complex’s interior will be modernised, while key elements of its original brutalist design will be preserved.

The three interconnected buildings — opened in 1983 under intense political pressure — will finally be adapted to meet the functional and artistic needs of the theatre.

Among the most visible changes will be the relocation of the iconic Café Nona, which will be replaced by a new entrance to the main hall on the first floor.

Post-renovation, the auditorium will offer around 100 additional seats and flexible configurations to accommodate different types of performances.

“We’ll transform the space into a cultural hub where audiences can engage with directors and performers,” said Tomáš Staněk, spokesperson for the National Theatre.

History

The original design of New Stage came from architect Bohuslav Fuchs, whose 1960s vision featured a glass facade facing Národní třída. But following his death in 1972 and the fallout of the 1968 invasion, his plans were shelved.

The project was handed to Pavel Kupka, whose three-building concept included one structure intended for Communist Party congresses.

Those plans, too, were abandoned when the party relocated its gatherings to the newly built Congress Center in Pankrác. Set designer Josef Svoboda, working with architect Zdeněk Kuna, proposed the space be used for the Laterna magika multimedia theatre.

However, their plan required extending the building — something the authorities rejected, unwilling to risk missing the fixed deadline.

In the end, the job fell to Karel Prager, who delivered the completed complex just in time — though only by shortening the building and cutting back on facilities. These limitations are now being addressed in the long-awaited reconstruction.

Before the doors close for renovation, the theatre plans to auction off the iconic seats from the main hall, offering the public a rare chance to own a piece of Czech theatre history.

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