bg Arad

Ioan Slavici Classical Theater

- Bulevardul Revoluției 103 -
The decision for the construction of the cultural multi-story building was made in 1868 on the initiative of the then-mayor Péter Atzél. He contracts a loan at a bank, and adding to this, donations were made by the people of Arad. The design the construction were created by the Hungarian architect Anton Czigler together with his son . Due to some disputes related to the exterior of the theater, the works only started in 1869 under the direct supervision of the Hungarian architect . The neoclassical building was decorated by artists from Vienna, , and Arad. The news that Emperor himself was to be present at the inauguration caused a rush of work on the theater. The inauguration took place on September 21, 1874, in the presence of the emperor himself. On February 18, 1883, after a rehearsal of a play, the building was destroyed by fire. The reconstruction was entrusted to the local architect Andor Halmay. The renovated theater reopened in October 1885, with the presentation of a play by .
The building during the fire in 1883
Starting from 1874 until the , numerous theatrical performances took place in the theater building, which was supported by local theatrical associations. In 1957 another fire destroyed the building almost completely and the authorities immediately allocated funds for the reconstruction. During the reconstruction, the interior space was completely transformed and the exterior underwent significant changes. The reconstructed building was inaugurated in 1960. In 2006, the Local Council of the Municipality of Arad decided to change the name of the theater from the Arad State Theater to the Classical Theater.
The back of the building shown in an old postcard
The top of the three sides of the Neo-Classical building are brightened up with a , of which the one on the northern side is the most lavishly decorated. In this tympanum, you can admire a sculptural composition depicting theatrical and dramatic performances, while the other two are adorned with a coat of arms surrounded by two female figures and foliage. Underneath the roof , of which the tympanums are part of, you can see several strips of and motifs, which can also be admired underneath the that are placed above some of the windows. These pediments are supported by , which are embellished with and acanthus foliage. On the same floor, you can see a lot of , which are incorporated with a lot of . The columns and , which are abundantly present, are either crowned with a Doric, a Composite, or a Corinthian . In addition, there are and beautifully decorated above and around the arches.
One of the sides shown in an old photo from 1910