An industrial hall of the Yugoslav-era giant Litostroj has been redesigned to serve as a temporary home for the Slovenian National Theatre (SNG) Drama Ljubljana while its historic building in the city centre undergoes long-awaited renovation.

The new venue in Litostrojska Street 56 in Šiška borough spans 4,230 square meters, including the main L56 building and parts of adjoining structures. Like the old theatre, it will have two stages, plus two additional ones for rehearsals.

The main stage theatre hall seats 361 people and the small one a hundred. Both have their own entrances and lobbies, complete with cloakrooms and visitor facilities. Like at the old venue, the new one has a theatre cafe with an outdoor rooftop terrace.

Having already served as an events venue, the premises have been redesigned by Vidic Grohar Architects to accommodate the SNG Drama until the completion of the €56 million renovation of its downtown building, slated for the end of 2026.

As journalists were invited to tour the new venue on 26 September, architect Jure Grohar said each of the spaces had a distinct character. The main stage hall is made of wood and features collapsible seating brought over from the old building as well as gold-yellow textiles inspired by the original venue.

The small hall is designed as a simple black box space, which also reflects the design from the old building. The main entrance to the big stage is conceived as a small covered plaza with a bench. The entrance to the small stage is styled as a small green square, complete with stairs and a ramp.

Fellow architect Anja Vidic said they had sustainability in mind when designing the project; permanent infrastructure is made of durable materials to serve other purposes in the future, while temporary elements can be taken apart to be used again at the renovated theatre.

SNG Drama Ljubljana director Vesna Jurca Tadel said the L56 venue provided an opportunity to bring the entire theatre - along with all its activities and departments - together under one roof.

Although the new main stage does not feature all the technical capabilities of the original venue, minor set adjustments will allow them to also stage older productions here, with an added bonus of the two rehearsal stages.

The overhaul of the new venue was overseen and paid for by the owner, which the theatre will be renting for €71,000 a month starting from 12 June this year under a lease agreement signed in October 2023.

Speaking for the owner, Alterna Intertrade, businessman Miran Boštic said renovation was completed "at a breakneck pace" in an "almost impossible time frame." When the contract was signed, the costs of the adaptation were estimated at €1.4 million.

The new venue can be reached by bike, car, or city bus. Drivers will be able to park for free in the designated spaces nearby and a special shuttle bus service will run between the theatre and the city centre on the evenings when performances are scheduled. In addition bus lines 3 and 18 will have schedules adjusted.

The first production at the new venue will be Georges Perec's The Raise, directed by Anđelka Nikolić, on the small stage on 4 October. The curtain on the main stage will be raised on 12 October for Maxim Gorky's Children of the Sun, directed by Paolo Magelli.

The SNG Drama Ljubljana's original venue was built to the plans of Viennese architect Alexander Graf between 1909 and 1911 to house the German Theatre. It opened on 4 October 1911 with Wagner's Kaisermarsch and Habsburg, a play written by Baron Alfred Berger.