About this place
Nové divadlo (New Theatre) is one of the most distinctive contemporary buildings in the centre of Plzeň and the main home of the J. K. Tyl Theatre (Divadlo J. K. Tyla), the city's oldest continuously operating Czech theatre company, with roots going back to the 19th century. The building itself, however, is far younger: it opened on 2 September 2014 as the flagship investment tied to Plzeň's year as European Capital of Culture 2015.
What does the New Theatre building look like?
The theatre's signature feature is its facade — a detached cast-concrete shell with a perforated, "bubble-like" texture, set slightly away from the main structure. It weighs more than a hundred tonnes and is lit at night by colour-changing LED floodlights, giving the building a completely different presence after dark than during the day. The architectural concept came from Vladimír Kružík of the Helika studio, developed from an earlier design by the Portuguese firm Contemporânea Lda. It is considered the only modern theatre building equipped with up-to-date stage technology to have been constructed in the Czech Republic since 1989.
How many stages and seats does it have?
Inside, the theatre operates two distinct performance spaces. The main hall, Nová scéna (New Stage), seats 461 people and hosts large-scale drama, opera, and musical productions. Alongside it, the smaller Malá scéna (Small Stage) is a flexible, variable-configuration space for up to 120 spectators, used for more experimental or intimate productions.
How much did it cost to build, and how long did it take?
The project took shape gradually — plans became more concrete in 2008, when architects were first invited to submit designs. The initial budget was estimated at around 300 million Czech korunas, but costs rose considerably during planning and construction. The final price tag came to roughly 880 million korunas, making it one of the largest post-war cultural investments in the Plzeň region.
What is the history of theatre on this site?
The new building didn't replace Plzeň's theatrical tradition — it extended it. The J. K. Tyl Theatre company continues an unbroken line of permanent Czech-language theatre in the city stretching back to the 19th century, and the 2014 opening of the New Theatre was celebrated as a new chapter in that story, coinciding with the company's 160th season. Today it is the venue for most of the ensemble's major drama, opera, and ballet premieres.
Frequently asked questions
Is the New Theatre the same as Divadlo J. K. Tyla? Yes — Nové divadlo is one of the venues (the main, modern stage) operated by the Josef Kajetán Tyl Theatre company, alongside other, older buildings used by the same institution.
How many people can the auditorium hold? The large New Stage seats 461, while the smaller, more flexible Small Stage holds up to 120, depending on the configuration used for a given production.
When was the building constructed? It opened on 2 September 2014, as part of preparations for Plzeň's year as European Capital of Culture 2015.
What makes the architecture distinctive? Above all, its detached, perforated cast-concrete facade weighing over a hundred tonnes, lit at night with colour-changing LEDs — a feature that has made the building an unmistakable landmark in the city centre.
Is it worth seeing even without a ticket to a performance? Yes — the building's shape and its illumination after dark are a popular sight and photo spot in central Plzeň, regardless of what is on the evening's programme.
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