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By Jessica Stewart on April 19, 2025

Image: Bloom

The design is influenced by the shape of a traditional folk skirt—the xhubleta—worn by Kosovar women.

The Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) is helping reshape Kosovo’s capital. The new Opera & Ballet Theatre of Kosovo, set to house the country’s philharmonic, ballet, and opera, comprises four performance halls topped by an undulating exterior skin of solar tiles. Influenced by the shape of a traditional folk skirt—the xhubleta—worn by Kosovar women, this outer shell envelops the space and gives it movement.

The 1,200-seat concert hall, 1,000-seat theatre hall, 300-seat recital hall, and theatre room are joined by an Education and Conference Centre to create a new cultural landmark in Prishtina. BIG’s arrangement of the performance spaces and decision to place parking in the basement also creates a public plaza easily accessible from the neighboring Palace of Youth & Sports.

Thanks to the undulating “veil” covering the structure, visitors will be visually guided to the foyer entrances available on each side. The sleek exterior of this skin is contrasted with the timber beams that line its underside. The warmth this provides is a preview of the inviting interior that awaits.

A large civic staircase leads pedestrians into the foyer, which is filled with light from a central skylight. Wood continues into the performance spaces, with curved timber elements providing visual appeal while also enhancing acoustics. Deep velvet upholstery and acoustic curtains will ensure optimal sound, and the variety of venues allows for both intimate and grand performances.

“The design for the Opera & Ballet Theatre of Kosovo allows for the flexibility to accommodate the precise needs of the organizations who will occupy the spaces within, while providing a modern facility that can elicit joy and delight for future generations of visitors and performers alike,” shares BIG London Partner, Andy Young. “The theater’s design symbolizes a new era of the arts and culture of Kosovo–with the potential to touch the heart of everyone who experiences it.”[…]

Source: BIG Drapes an Undulating “Veil” Over Kosovo’s Ballet + Opera Theater