The redevelopment of former Wrzos Cinema Theatre conceptualised by Aleksander Janicki and designed by the said artist and architect Mariusz Twardowski with his team will create a modern space for culture in Krakow’s lively Podgórze District.
The dream of our own home came true thanks to the efforts of the director Jerzy Zoń and the support of Mayor Jacek Majchrowski and the City of Kraków.

The new home of the KTO Theatre is designed to be multifunctional and friendly for the residents of the 13th District, blending with the greenery of Bednarski Park, and presenting reminders of the place’s history. The axis of the composition is the black cuboid of the theatre hall.
The dark colour of the elevation, also transferred to the interiors, distinguishes the structure as the centre of functional gravity.
The dominant structure is surrounded by smaller spaces separated by glass and light coloured plaster, consisting of, among others, a gallery and administrative rooms.
The division of the building is accentuated by green roofs in the form of terraces and an inner garden – a green patio. They sculpture the body of the building and its interior, creating an aura conducive to art contemplation.

The basic concept of the design is to restore the front elevation to its original historical form whilst eliminating changes and alterations from the 1970s. The shape of the gable wall, including the reconstructed historical arrangement of windows and woodwork, will be preserved and exposed as a block separated from other parts by a glass foyer.
The white wall, a “witness of history”, contrasts with the modern, black body of the theatre hall.

It is a symbolic link between tradition and modernity. Other “witnesses” – fragments of the old, original walls of the building – will also be preserved. Fragments of the glass flooring have been designed to expose the limestone rock on which the building is founded.

The interior of the theatre hall is designed to be minimalist, monochromatic, in black, providing a background for theatrical creations, concerts and performances.

Remotely controlled roof with the opening diameter up to 7 meters gives the possibility to open the space to weather conditions.
Letting the elements into the theatre space is a symbolic reference to the KTO’s character – a theatre that also operates in an open space.

The terrace with an entrance on the first floor smoothly transforms into the park at the back of the building, where the design envisages the creation of sensory gardens and the construction of a gazebo, a mobile stage with a summer cinema screen, street furniture and mobile seating. From the side of Bednarski Park, the complex is closed by a viewing platform.

The interpenetration of the interior and exterior integrates the building with its surroundings and constitutes a transit zone between the dense frontage of Zamoyskiego Street and the green hill of Krzemionki.