The Hans Otto Theater (it was named during the GDR in honor of the Communist actor who died at the hands of the SS in 1933) stands on the shore of the lake, and it is the façade facing the reservoir that should be considered the main one. It is there that the main foyer and the auditorium are turned. The fully glazed wall culminates in a three-tiered roof that resembles a hat brim, a pagoda, and a rose flower. It also resembles the Jorn Utson Opera House in Sydney.
The main entrance of the theater is in a completely different urban planning situation. Instead of the green shore of the lake, it is surrounded by industrial buildings, some of which Boehm had to include in his construction. Thus, the facade of the building facing the city street is flanked: on the left is a former chicory processing factory of the 19th century, now a theater restaurant, and on the right is a gas meter of the early 20th century, which Boehm turned into a utility space. Both of these buildings were not subject to demolition, as they are protected by the state as architectural monuments.
Because of this environment, the city's façade of the Potsdam theater is much more restrained, and is the black and red side of a traditional "box" hall with ribbon windows. Through the main entrance, visitors to the theater enter a narrow corridor that leads them into the interior of the building. This passage gradually widens, and, finally, leads the future viewer into a bright foyer overlooking the lake. Thus, a dramatic collision is created, reflecting the transition of the visitor from everyday life to the holiday of theatrical performance.
The 484-seat auditorium is interesting because it can be used both for dance evenings and for fashion shows: the city theater is almost the only public space of this kind in the former industrial and garrison town, which is Potsdam.
This city suffered greatly during the Second World War, and since 1945 the troupe of the city theater has not had a permanent building. Now the construction of the famous architect should not only provide the city dwellers with a full-fledged theater building, but also attract the residents of Berlin, located very close to Potsdam.
