St. Gallen government wants to renovate theater

Not only the glazing in the foyer facing the city park, but also all the entrance doors to the main entrance need to be replaced and part of the façade renewed. The flat roofs will also be repaired and the lifts brought up to modern standards. A large part of the building services - from the electrical installations to the heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems to the sanitary facilities - will have to be replaced. The stage technology systems will be completely replaced. The winches will be repaired and the remaining manual hoists will be replaced by electric winches. The theater seating will be renewed and seating comfort improved.
The additional space required means that the theater building needs to be extended by 750 square meters. With the additional space, the current workplace regulations can be met and appropriate dressing rooms and make-up rooms for artists can be provided. The workrooms in the basement will be provided with daylight. The ceiling in the set storage area will be raised to provide space for stage sets. The same applies to the ballet hall, where contemporary rehearsals will be possible. For structural and operational reasons, the extension can only be built on the north-western corner of the building.

Over the course of two seasons, the theater operations will be relocated to a temporary building that will be constructed between the Art Museum and the Historical and Ethnological Museum. The temporary building consists of an audience area, a stage area and a backstage area. For the planning of the temporary building, the number of seats was reduced from 700 to 500. The cost estimate for the temporary structure is CHF 4.5 million. If the Cantonal Council approves the project, the renovation work will start in summer 2019. The work on the building will take two years.