Stylepark Swarovski
Arias beneath the crystal
“For the Mariinsky Theater we sought a contemporary expression for the remarkable historical urban face of St. Petersburg,” narrates Gary McCluskie of Diamond Schmitt Architects. The ten-story new build for the Mariinsky Theater, affectionately known as “Mariinsky II”, is located on the Kryukov Canal directly opposite the old theater, which dates back to 1860. Decidedly unlike the predecessor building, the design the Canadian architects came up with is plain and clean-lined in outer appearance. However, that restrained impression deceives, as inside the building, with a total surface area just short of 80,000 square meters, needs not shy comparison with its elder relative in terms of opulence: The new build is illuminated by no less than 130,000 Swarovski crystals in the form of candelabras and decorations – running from the foyer through to the auditorium. “We wanted to work with a manufacturer who would be able to realize our design, which is inspired by glowworms, and Swarovski immediately came to mind,” recollects McCluskie. Together they designed the iridescent kinetic installations for the building that infuse the theater’s interior with an elegant sense of zest. The auditorium with its classic horseshoe shape boasts outstanding acoustics. Into the front paneling of the balconies, Diamond Schmitt Architects have inset flat lighting elements courtesy of Swarovski to create a refined accent in the wooden panels for the three galleries. Moreover, the foyer features 4,000 square meters of Iranian onyx, backlit by special LED technology. (am)
