The theater of Tîrgu-Mureș as a cultural institution came into being in 1946, when the Hungarian section of the State Theater was established here. Its performances were held in the large hall of the Palace of Culture. After 1962 when the Romanian section was also established, the Palace of Culture was no longer an appropriate venue since the State Philharmonic also performed there. Therefore, the need for a new building that would provide enough space for shows and rehearsals became obvious. In 1965, during the 9th congress of the Communist Party it was decided for three theater houses to be built in the country: The National Theater of Bucharest, the National Theater of Craiova and the National Theater of Tîrgu-Mureș. The main problem the authorities faced was to find an appropriate location. After several options were proposed, such as the interior of the Medieval Fortress, the Marasti Square or the Army Square, it was decided that the city center was the most convenient location for a theater building. Thus, a not so commendable decision was made, namely to demolish the Franciscan monastery and the old synagogue. As a result, a large flat area was created which allowed for an ample architectural ensemble to be raised, with a large square that would enlarge the urban space of the city center. The construction works coordinated by a team of architects - Constantin Săvescu, Vladimir Slavu, Mihaela Savu and Aurel Sârbu were finalized in 1973 when the project and team of architects were awarded the Prize of the Architects”™ Union of Romania. The nucleus of the construction is the large show house with 600 seats. Its structure, like that of all theaters, also includes a smaller show hall, the back stage with the actors”™ dressing rooms, storage rooms for props and costumes, offices ofor the administrative personnel etc. The foyer is one of the most representative elements which reveals the building's visual personality through its interior decoration and finishings. The most frequently used materials are wood and marble. Most of the surfaces of the walls, columns or banisters are covered with wood panels, as is the ceiling. The monumental staircase is based on the spiral, as a decorative shape.

The artists that contributed to the interior decorations and finishing were Apasia Burdujan Omescu who made the tapestries on the walls of the foyer”™s first floor, Liliana Dinescu țšigănescu who is the author of the embroideries on the curtains of the large show hall and Hunyadi László, the author of the massive brass doors at the main entrance. The exterior appearance is characterized by a modernist approach with touches of monumentality. Large surfaces of masonry alternate with the various shapes and sizes of the window openings and there is a general predilection for angular shapes. The main façade is oriented toward the large square which was also modeled as part of the theater building project. On the left side the tower of the former Franciscan church still stands, above the underground ossuary of the monastery. Next to it there is an artesian fountain designed by Mac Constantinescu and the series of statues representing the muses made by sculptor Zagyva László . The statuary group entitled Genesis, on the right side of the square is the work of artist Kulcsár Béla , while the Shell in front of the theater was authored by Gavril șerban.

Bibliography:

Traina Dușa, Pagini de istorie,artă și cultură, Vol II, Editura Ansid, Tîrgu-Mureș, 2002, pp. 224-234.