Piraeus Municipal Theatre

Once the largest theatre in Greece, it stands as a proud symbol of the rise of Piraeus. Classical marble columns, a lavish interior and impressive scale are just a few of the reasons why the Piraeus Municipal Theatre has become one of the city’s most iconic landmarks.

In 1981, the building suffered major damage from an earthquake. Due to financial constraints, the necessary renovation had to wait for ten years, and the theatre’s operations were completely shut down.

During the urgently needed restoration, the building was entirely hollowed out, the structure cleaned of debris, and original stonework exposed. At the end of 2010, Waagner-Biro was awarded the contract to supply a mobile orchestra platform, two stage trapdoors, a transport elevator, and 44 fly bars for the upper stage machinery, as well as 6 point hoists, curtain systems, a portal bridge and side stage towers.

The hollowed-out state of the building was just one of many challenges Waagner-Biro Stage Systems had to master. The greater complexity lay in the theatre’s protected status as a historical monument. This required the preservation of the original wooden structures of the stage floor, balconies, stage loft with the main truss, and the dome above the auditorium – all while integrating modern stage technology.