<div>Artists like the new building of the SND, according to experts it is unnecessarily large</div>

Bratislava - The new building of the Slovak National Theatre (SND), which was ceremonially opened in Bratislava on Saturday, is appreciated by artists. However, the chief architect of Bratislava, Štefan Šlachta, believes that it is unnecessarily large by Slovak standards. This is evident from a survey conducted by ČTK among Slovak personalities.
    Opera diva Gabriela Beňačková, who performed at Saturday's ceremonial gala evening, reportedly felt excellent in the new theatre. "Beautiful atmosphere, it is lovely," said the famous singer to ČTK.
    Actress Mária Kráľovičová also praised Saturday's ceremonial performance in the building, the construction of which took 21 years, and expressed her joy over the new structure. "I look forward to this theatrical family being in one building, one cathedral, which Slovakia truly deserves," said Kráľovičová. She expressed hope that the theatre, which has a larger capacity than previous SND buildings, will be full of visitors.
    However, the chief architect Šlachta believes that the new theatre is somewhat oversized. "The opera hall is indeed beautiful, but somewhat large by Slovak standards. We will see if it can be filled," the expert said.
    According to Šlachta, the idea that Austrians will help fill the auditorium was justified in the case of the old building, but cannot be relied upon for the new one. According to Šlachta, it will take some time for people to learn to visit the new building.
    The building is also not aided by the busy construction activities nearby and the distance of public transport stops, the architect emphasized. However, the theatre management is already negotiating with the transport company about this issue.
    A rather skeptical opinion on the new theatre building was also expressed today by opposition MP Vladimír Palko. While he welcomes the opening of the new construction, he prefers to continue visiting the old building from the late 19th century. "The small one is nice," he noted in a discussion program on Slovak television.
    SND performances in the past fifty years have taken place in its historical building, in the Theatre of Pavol Országh Hviezdoslav, and on the Small Stage. These stages have a total of 1200 seats. The new building, which took 21 years to build, offers three halls with 1700 seats, making it the largest theatre building in Slovakia. However, SND will continue to utilize its historical building with more than 600 seats.