Olsztyn Puppet Theatre to get new headquarters as design selected

The city of Olsztyn has chosen the winning architectural concept for a new headquarters of the Olsztyn Puppet Theatre (Olsztyński Teatr Lalek). The building will be located on Tadeusza Mazowieckiego Street, next to Hala Urania. The design, created by Warsaw studio PLUS3 Architekci, was praised for its harmony with surrounding greenery, appropriate scale and ecological solutions such as cross‑laminated timber (CLT) construction.

Seventeen firms entered the competition; after a qualification stage, six submitted final proposals. The winner receives a PLN 50,000 prize and an invitation to negotiate the preparation of design documentation, scheduled to start on 17 August. The project is estimated to cost at least PLN 70 million and will be co‑financed with European Union funds. The city has already secured PLN 300,000 from the Ministry of Culture for documentation work.

Mayor Robert Szewczyk emphasized the theatre’s historic role and the need for a modern venue. State secretaries Maciej Wróbel (Ministry of Culture) and Jacek Karnowski (Ministry of Funds and Regional Policy) highlighted the importance of EU support for cultural infrastructure in the Warmia‑Mazury region.