A sight in the snow

A frozen lake, Tartar culture and an evolved urban identity. The new Kamal Theatre by Kengo Kuma and Associates and Wowhaus in Kazan offers a nouveau outlook on the role of a theatre in a city

06 May 2025

Namrata Dewanjee

What do two theatres have to say to each other? As I glance outside the window in Kazan, two forms anchor the frigid vista, separated by a snow-laden Millennium Park. Each reflects a time of its own. To the right, the grounded old Galiasgar Kamal Tatarian State Academic Theatre, with its origins in 20th-century Russia; to the left, across Kaban Lake, its counterpart. A shimmering new light of the future. This was where the Kazanysh forum took place, bringing together architects, designers, and thinkers from across the BRICS nations for a dialogue on design. Created by the Moscow-based Wowhaus architecture office in collaboration with Kengo Kuma and Associates, the new Kamal Theatre, at first glance, might seem in stark contrast to the kaleidoscopic traditional town. But a closer examination reveals that the shards of the theatre are inspired by the ice flowers on the frozen lake and the dramatic slope of the old structure.

“This is the structure of the city. It’s a public space where something is happening all the time”— Oleg Shapiro

On the walls are illuminated folk ornaments from the Tatar culture, situating the theatre in its social context; Consisting of four halls, the space is equipped to hold large scale events like the Kazanysh Forum hosting architects, designers and thinkers from around the world, positioning Kazan as a nouveau global destination; Photography by Andrei Artis

With any bold built form, there often comes the conundrum of context. The Kamal Theatre is no different. Oleg Shapiro of Wowhaus responds, “There is no modern or contemporary architecture without context. What do we mean by context? It means landscape, local culture, and also technology.” He continues, “But the main concept is the city itself, because an object like this needs to be an organic part of the city.”

As the capital of the Republic of Tatarstan, Kazan’s urban fabric is home to many cultures, but a theatre can also be seen as a social condenser for the 21st century (a concept that emerged in the former Soviet Union). “This is the structure of the city,” says Oleg. “It’s not just a theatre; it’s a public space where something is happening all the time.” The theatre invites people in with three entrances, and a public space that is open to everyone. While the third storey is accessible only to the actors performing, the lower floors are completely permeable allowing visitors to freely pass through the theatre to the embankment.

Speaking with the Mayor of Kazan, Ilsur Metshin, about building in context for the future, he tells us, “There is a historical centre across the lake, the Tatarskaya Sloboda (Old Tatar Settlement). We tried not to break this balance.” And the balance he speaks of is maintained through dialogues with the community of architects and representatives of universities, as well as with the head of the Republic. “There are always doubts about whether we are doing the right thing,” admits Metshin. “But it is important that we do it.” Through the crystal facade of the new theatre, a novel urbanity of Kazan emerges. Thoughtful, unafraid, and forward-thinking. An evolved genius loci.