Jukebox
Culture is a social production. The 1928 structure which housed the Fortuna Cinema was conceived, not by accident, as a representation of both the Classical Temple and the Industrial Hall. Emblematic of its symbolic function within society, it is a house for both meaning and making. In the 21st century, the traditional relation between audience and actor is blurred. A telephone is a camera; citizens are directors. And yet, theatre has a history and the elements which define the theatre are limited by necessity. However, these elements are ripe for redefinition. What is a stage? Where can a curtain be drawn? When is the act truly over? How can the space of performing arts exceed its conventional limits?
Introduction
Leipzig is a city of rivers and rails: a city formed by convergence. The moving arts are a discipline of choreography. The people are all participants. What brings them together? The renovated Fortuna Theatre will question the framework for participation and performance. The project will define elements, boundaries, stages and their interaction. As well as propose a larger social environment within which the magical moment of ‘Action’ may take on new meaning… The project will be to propose a flexible theatre complex (from classical to experimental theatre productions or ballet) and to focus on new forms of occupancy and transformation of the unused historical building and surrounding left-over plots in conjunction with new spaces for education, culture, work, housing, etc.
“To preserve or not to preserve... That is the question�
As our first task, we were given a few existing buildings to examine and extract what we are going to take account into our own design. There were three buildings: SchaubĂźhne theater in Berlin by Mendelssohn, Prada store in New York by OMA and Sinfonia Versovia Music Hall that won a competetion in Warsaw.
Precedent study
Although the Prada store was clearly not a theater, it consisted of a hidden platform that acted as a small exhibition of new line of clothing or a show. Not to mention the long entrance hall that gives you the experience of walking on a runway as it stretches far and into the main part of the store. The structure gives you such vibrant and lively circulation around such limited space, but most importantly I was struck by the perspective, thus experience that we as customers get. We feel more when we understand. Perhaps it is the feeling of being a model walking on the runway that makes shopping at that specific shop special.
Concept
Theaters are usually closed space and private; the audience does not see anything until they reach the seat and the show starts. From my precedent study, I thought it would be interesting to change the stereotype of how a theater works. What if the audience could see actors getting ready and parts of theater production? It is more than just meeting at the stage. There is a whole other interaction between the people, not only audience, but passerbys being opened to the backstage of every show. It’s perspective through transparency.
The old
Complete demolition Completely demolished the old theater and used the extra space to expand the footprint
The new
Entrance
Public space
There are two ways to go into the building: straight to the main theater space or down the slope to the service area, workshops and lower theater space.
The generous entrance provides bigger shared space and the skylights beneath the slope allows passive theater production-audience interaction where the audience can partially see the workshops underground.
Main theater space
Main stage
Workshops (open to public)
Actors’ lounge
Underground theater
Leipzig, or should we say Hypezig, is a growing city in Saxony, Germany with population of 570,087. Buildings are much more human scale than other cities; low roofs, majority of them are residential blocks; it gives a cozy, homey vibe.
Leipzig
The given site is on the east side of Leipzig and most of the buildings in the block are under reconstruction or in the process of demolition. There is always a way to preserve the old to keep the history and the atmosphere it set in the surroundings. However, new isn’t always bad. New brings new and Leipzig is under construction to becoming a greater, a more vibrant city. I want to convey a strong and definite presence within the blend. It will bring the old into the now
Site plan 1:500
Floor plans
plan
Main theater and ground floor plan 1:200
Underground floor plan 1:200
Elevations
elevation
Elevation North, South (top to bottom) 1:200
Elevation West, East (top to bottom) 1:200
Sections
section1
Longitudinal Section A 1:200
Longitudinal Section B 1:200
2
Cross Section 1:200
Perspectives
perspective1
2
3
day time
night time
Design Process