The Opera in Stara Zagora is the first building in Bulgaria, constructed specially for the necessities of an opera theater. The designing was assigned to architects Mihail Sokolovski, Boris Kamilarov and Tsanko Hadzhistoychev in 1962. The construction was finished in 1971.
In 1991, a fire destroyed the stage space and the spectators’ hall. A year later, a working project for reconstruction was prepared. The building and repair activities began in 2002. They were in accordance with the requirements of the authors’ team who designed the opera at the beginning of the 60s of the last century.
The reconstruction was headed by Architect Tsanko Hadzhistoychev. Engineers Lachezar Tashev, Lyubomir Sabev and Damyan Hristov participated as main design-constructors. The hall’s floor was covered with a fireproof polypropene carpet and was furnished with 605 seats, 6 of which for physically disabled people. The lobbies have a new interior furnishing, in one of which the remains of the ceramic murals by Acad. Dechko Uzunov were restored.
After the reconstruction, the Stara Zagora Opera has the largest and the most modern rotating stage in Bulgaria. With the help of specialists from SBS – Buhnen Technik – Dresden, the lower stage mechanization was thoroughly restored and technically renovated. The system of art lighting includes modern control boards, projectors cycloid lighting structures. The system allows controlling simultaneously with one board conventional lighting, intelligent devices and multimedia. The contractor is “Vahs” Ltd.
The reconstruction was completed on 29 December 2009. On 5 October, the renovated hall was opened with the premiere of the opera “Carmen” by Georges Bizet.
Technical specifications:
- Theparametersofthestagespaceare: interiorwidthofthestage – 17m, depth – 21.40m, architecturalportal – 12 x 7.35m, softportal – 11m, curtain – 40 x 9m.
- Maincurtain: Horizontalmovement, regulatedmovementspeed – from 0.1 upto 1m/secatmechanicalstart, atmanualstartupto 0.2 m/sec.
- Soundproof curtains (left and right) – movement upward – downward
- Portalbridge – width 12m, maximaluplifting – 6.7m.
- Lightingbridge – situated in the middle of the stage
- Manually-operated heavy rods -24 (22 behind the curtain, 2 across the curtain). Carrying load capacity 250kg, movement path from 1m on the stage up to 22m.
- Галерии – 4 бр. на различни нива
- Orchestrapitwithmeasures 15.20 x 4.61m. Movement speed – slow 0.02m/sec and quick – 0.04 m/sec. Loading capacity – static – 300 kg/square/m and dynamic – 100 kg/square/m.
- Proscenium – measures 12 x 1.86. Seats in the hall – stalls 408, balcony – 165, boxes -26, for physically disabled – 6. Total 605
light-plan