Gabriel Sundukyan National Academic Theatre
Armenia
Yerevan
Waagner-Biro Stage Systems67+
Number of Machinery
1
Number of Venues
2016
Year of Completion
18
Duration of Project in Months
Facts and Figures
The project included 47 fly bar hoists, 2 side stage hoists, 3 point hoists, 7 lighting battens, 2 curtains and various safety components in the upper stage machinery. In the lower stage machinery, two revolving stage drive units were installed, 550 m² of stage floor were renewed, and 650 m² of parquet flooring were laid in the auditorium. Two C⋅A⋅T V4 control systems were implemented for stage automation.
Type of venue
As the oldest modern theatre in the Republic of Armenia, the Gabriel Sundukyan National Academic Theatre holds a prominent place in the country’s cultural landscape.
Founded in 1921 in Yerevan and officially opened just one year later, it became Armenia’s very first state theatre. Uniquely, the voices of actors were considered during its design and construction – creating a rare harmony between ensemble and direction, and blending traditional Armenian identity with a forward-looking, contemporary vision.
In 1937, the theatre was renamed in honour of Gabriel Sundukyan, the renowned playwright and founder of the Armenian school of realistic drama. Just over a decade later, in 1950, the theatre was granted the distinguished title of Academic Theatre.
Almost a century after its founding, the theatre underwent a comprehensive renovation between 2014 and 2016. Waagner-Biro Stage Systems was entrusted with the complete refurbishment of the upper and lower stage machinery, the safety curtain, and part of the stage floor. The auditorium was modernised with a new floor and a contemporary seating system, while the motor of the revolving stage was replaced in the understage area. To match the technical upgrade, a new and powerful C⋅A⋅T V4 control system was installed.
In August 2016, the theatre was successfully handed over – seamlessly uniting historical grandeur with cutting-edge stage technology, and ready to inspire a new generation of theatre in Armenia.
