Stora Teatern, theatre in Norrköping, Sweden
Stora Teatern is a 1908 theater building with a T-shaped floor plan constructed in Jugendstil architecture. The exterior features yellow walls with horizontal molding and granite bands, while the interior contains a green foyer with Jugendstil ceiling patterns, a main hall seating about 600 people, and gold-colored plaster ornaments around the proscenium and balcony railings.
The building was designed by architect Axel Anderberg in 1908 and replaced an older theater from 1850 that had been demolished in 1903. Its opening on February 29, 1908 with the Hjalmar Selanders theater company marked the beginning of its role as a cultural center, and it gained protection as a listed building in 1990.
The building displays verses by Swedish poet Esaias Tegnér above its entrance, reading "Proclaim the sorrow of the century" and "Proclaim the joy of the century". Inside, above the stage, the Latin phrase "Ridendo dicere verum" - meaning "To say the truth while smiling" - embodies the spirit of the place as a venue for honest, joyful art.
The theater sits in central Norrköping and is easily accessible on foot with clear signage and a wide entrance. The interior spaces are well organized with a foyer for orientation, and the main hall offers different seating sections across multiple levels for varying sightlines.
The building was designed by renowned architect Axel Anderberg, who also contributed to the construction of the Stockholm Opera House. A lightning strike caused a fire in 1919 affecting the rehearsal spaces and costume storage, but damage remained limited and the main structure survived unharmed.
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