Per[forming] London Thesis

THE DALSTON COOPERATIVE and

THE DALSTON COOPERATIVE THEATRE

Benjamin Bye | Arch 407 | Thesis Proposal | Fall 2013 | Professor Howard Davis

Benjamin Bye | Arch 407 | Thesis Proposal | Fall 2013 | Professor Howard Davis

OF AND FOR DALSTON

A Program Rooted in the Social and Creative Contexts of Dalston “The communities in the area express themselves through art in ways you or I rarely see. If we can include them and bring that out, that could be the key to keeping Dalston’s individual identity and arts community alive.” Colin Jones, Hackney Cooperative Developments

Dalston hums with the activity of a nascent creative class looking to bring their arts to life. Free from the high costs of Central London, Dalston is home to a large community of young artists seeking refuge in the neighborhood’s low rent and high density creative community. Through the analysis of Dalston’s many social contexts, this proposal will attempt to find its place within the creative culture of the neighborhood. The energies that have forged Dalston’s many creative institutions will in turn be engaged to inform the creation of the community’s newest performance space. In order to better understand the creative culture of Dalston, the context will be established through an analysis of the neighborhood’s social and creative projects. The analysis will create a contextual foundation from which this project can be built upon. Manifest in the design of a new performance space for Gillett Square is a desire to make it of that place. The building should be indicative of the cultural, social, and creative forces currently present in Dalston.

Figure 1. The layered social context of Gillett Square.

A CREATIVE CONTEXT Spontaneity and Creativity in the Social Context of Dalston

The neighborhood of Dalston, in the London borough of Hackney, provides numerous precedents for ground-up, community minded projects. Dalston has been historically considered a rough neighborhood, yet a recent attentiveness towards micro-enterprise, incremental development, and a predilection for architectural and social improvisation, has made it a place of opportunity for those with little means. The intention of this proposal is to create an incubator for local musical talent, fostering growth by providing venues for performance and space for the production of music and digital presence.

Gillett Square is a space that fosters spontaneity, allowing the square to don many hats. It is a place where children run around on temporary playground equipment while adults play ping-pong, local entrepreneurs open micro-enterprises, skateboarders enjoy the car free terrain, and homeless people rest in the shade of a grove of trees. The program of the square has a flexibility that makes it ripe for the prosperity of highly diverse enterprises and uses. Beyond the square itself, the neighborhood of Dalston is a hotbed for architectural and programmatic spontaneity. Examples of this include the Dalston Eastern Curve Garden, a converted railroad bed turned community garden and café; the Arcola Theatre, creating a drama performance space in a converted warehouse designed at a small enough scale to allow for local productions yet prominent enough to host festivals like an annual Opera Festival; or the Dalston Roof Park, which utilizes vacant roof space for the creation of an outdoor movie theatre, bar, and garden. These examples are illustrative of a shared desire between community members to create positive programming in spaces that most often would be left vacant or under utilized. Furthermore, these local projects are highly playful and inventive, instilling a uniquely approachable quality. While the theatres and operas of Central London can be imposing to casual audiences, the simple plywood shell utilized in the creation of the Arcola Theatre in Dalston gives it the necessary casualness to welcome all audiences.

Within the new performance space proposed for Gillett Square, the intention is to develop a program and architectural language that sources the spontaneous and often improvisational nature of Dalston’s many cultural institutions.

As such, the building will provide spaces for various levels of musicians to perform. Local musicians will have the ability to perform in smaller spaces

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Creative Contexts

while larger acts can subsidize the venue as they sell out larger spaces. Beyond the size of the performance spaces, new typologies for the performance of music will be explored. The design will employ multiple typologies in one setting, supporting a range of acts from the roots of the local music scenes to performers requiring a larger and more formal performance hall. By developing a range of spaces, a varied musical base can be supported. This goal is mirrored in the history of Gillett Square’s development. Due to its “ground up” nature, the square grew incrementally with a focus on micro-ventures, giving people with less means the necessary first step in starting a business. The new performance space on the square will make a similar effort to foster musical “microventures.” Just as the small retail pods on Gillett Square aid young businessmen, the performance hall will similarly provide a platform to jumpstart emerging musicians.

COMMUNITY PRECEDENTS Spontaneity and Creativity in the Social Context of Dalston

Dalston’s many community led art and design projects illustrate the unique creative context of the neighborhood. Projects tend towards the use of raw materials applied in forgotten corners of the bustling neighborhood. The projects often serve as tools for regeneration as they introduce people to the dark alleys and unused corners of Dalston.

RIDLEY’S Dalston | London | The Decorators and Atelier Chan Chan | 2011 Ridley’s is a popup restaurant for exhibitionist eating in Dalston’s Ridley Road Market. Created by a group of Artists, Architects, and Designers, the structure filled a derelict void in the market. Local chefs collaborated with vendors at the market in order to create daily menus. The project celebrated spontaneity, changing menus daily and filling an unexpected space at the market. The project further reflects Dalston’s design culture as it focuses on community engagement and utilizes simple raw materials to create a profound experience.

The project is realized in rented scaffolding with simple plywood and fabric finishes.

often focus on community issues specific to Dalston. For example, the first performance in the theatre confronted the racial tensions between Dalston’s Turkish and West African populations.

Figure 3. The Arcola Theatre rests on a small footprint in a former warehouse.

Figure 2. Ridley’s Restaurant, a collaboration between artists, chefs, and vendors.

ARCOLA THEATRE Dalston | London | 2011 ‘Arcola Theatre brings the very best of the worlds performing and visual arts to the people of the world living and working in London’ The Guardian The Arcola Theatre occupies a former paint manufacturing warehouse in Dalston. The Theatre fills the former factory space with two studios with an occupancy of 240 people. The theatre utilizes simple and raw materials to form the theatre spaces, giving the space an approachable environment. The theatre was created and operated by a local resident of Dalston. Plays at the theatre

Figure 4. Adjacent to the Arcola Theatre is the playful Dalston Roof Park.

The park is another project spontaneously occupying under-utilized spaces.

Dalston Cooperative

Kinglsand High Street Dalston Co-op Theatre Overground Station

Ridley Road Market

PROGRAMMING PERFORMANCE A Program for the Dalston Co-op Theatre and the Dalston Cooperative

This project is divided into two interrelated programmatic function areas, the performance based Dalston Co-op Theatre and the production based Dalston Cooperative. The Dalston Co-op Theatre will make up a major portion of the public facade of the project, opening its doors to Gillett Square. The theatre is made up of two auditoriums, a restaurant, and a hub space connecting the multiple use areas. The theatres are operated by the Dalston Cooperative, an independent record label and music space for Dalston’s Musicians. The Cooperative comprises of leasable rehearsal studio space, recording studios, production studios, and offices for the management of the Theatre and the Cooperative.

THE DALSTON CO-OP THEATRE A New Home for Music Performance in Dalston

The Dalston Co-op Theatre can be broken into three distinct yet interrelated pieces, simplified as two theatres connected to a central hub of activity. The Co-op Theatre is the most public function in the project and as such will have a strong relationship with Gillett Square. What sets the spaces apart from standard theatres are their adeptness to spontaneity. Each space actively encourages spontaneity in the users. In the large concert hall, musicians are challenged to interact with the unique acoustics, adapting their music on the spot. The intimacy and adaptability of the small performance space allows for spontaneity in performance relationships with the audience as well as shifts in performance typology. And the Theatre Hub will be designed to encourage interaction between cooperative members and theatre goers alike, sparking relationship and partnerships based on the spontaneity of their interactions. The Dalston Co-op Theatre will be a new and exciting space for musicians from around the globe to perform in, challenging the often normative nature of popular theatre design.

MAJOR ELEMENTS OF THE CO-OP THEATRE The Theatre Hub: The Theatre Hub is an active lobby for the Dalston Cooperative Theatre. The Hub will actively connect the Large Performance Hall and the Small Performance Space. Furthermore, the hub will work to activate the relationship between the theatre and Gillett Square. A pub will be located in the hub in order to facilitate interaction between members of the Cooperative, visitors of the theatre, and users of Gillett Square. The Hub will work to tie together all major programmatic elements of both the theatre and the cooperative.

Small Performance Space: A small space for the performance of music and screening of films. The space is intended to cater to local musicians and artists who do not yet have the means to fill a larger performance space. The space will be tightly connected to the Theatre Hub as well as the Pub. Large Performance Hall: A music hall that will attract larger touring musicians from London and beyond. The Large Performance Hall will also create a space for the merger of large and small groups, providing the musical programing that will put a small artists on a larger than normal stage and a large artist on a smaller more intimate stage than standards set.

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Programming Performance | Dalston Co-op Theatre

THE DALSTON COOPERATIVE

SPONTANEITY

PERFORMANCE

HUB

SPONTANEITY

GILLETT SQUARE | DALSTON

PERFORMANCE

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THE THEATRE HUB

5,000 sq. ft.

An entrance to the Co-op Theatres, the Hub is more than a lobby, it is a place for meeting, a space for spontaneous interaction, spontaneous performance, for sharing food and for sharing stories. The Hub is the heartbeat of the building, connecting diverse areas of program. The space will need to be grand enough to draw people in from the square yet intimate enough to encourage interaction amongst users. It is important that the Hub contains elements that keep it active throughout the course of the day. To be a successful addition to Gillett Square, the space must activate the north edge of the square with active uses throughout the course of the day and into the evening. From within the interior of the Hub it is necessary that the theatre spaces can be read as theatres from the outside. The Hub’s form will be informed by the massing and placement of the various performance spaces of the theatre.

MAJOR ELEMENTS Lobby | Cafe/Pub | Ticket Sales | Impromptu Performance Space TERTIARY ELEMENTS Restrooms | Coat Check | Cafe/Pub Kitchen ACTIVITY LEVELS Morning: The Cafe/Pub space will be utilized early in the day for coffee and lunch by both members of the Theatre Co-op as well as people from the greater community area. Seating will break out onto Gillett square in order to enliven its northern edge. Musicians can play music in the large space and meet with other local musicians before practicing at the Co-op Studios.

Afternoon: In the afternoon, people will begin to frequent the Pub, another activity that can be brought out onto Gillett Square.

Evening: The Hub will be filled with the activity of patrons arriving for a concert and enjoying the amenities of the space. This Hub will reach its use climax in the hours before a show.

SPATIAL RELATIONSHIPS The Hub will connect the two theatre spaces to each other and Gillett Square.

The hub will also serve as a public connection point to the Co-op. A large spatial volume will define the space as a focal hub in the building.

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Programming Performance | Dalston Co-op Theatre

A DYNAMIC LOBBY THE HAMPSTEAD THEATRE Swiss Cottage | London | Bennett Associates Architects | 1994-2003 The Hampstead Theatre is a 325 seat theatre in the London borough of Camden. Completed by Bennett Associates in 2003, the space offers precedent for the creation of an active lobby space. Very central to the design of the lobby is a strong visual connection between the shell of the theatre and the lobby area. The curve of the theatre shell gives the space its specific spatial quality. The curve of the shell continues down into the basement level where it creates office and rehearsal space for the theatre company. Opposite the theatre shell is a cafe that is open throughout the course of the day, serving not just theatre patrons but also the general public. The cafe enlivens the lobby throughout the course of the day. The lobby space acts as a hub in the wider public realm as well, connecting a plaza in the buildings front facade to a large park on the buildings rear facade. A large skylight draws upon the connection between the front plaza and rear park by emphasizing the axis between the two public realms.

LESSONS Activity levels throughout the day can be increased through the introduction of a public cafe that is integral to the lobby space. With the cafe inserted directly within the lobby, the space is no longer reserved for special events, it is given a more casual quality that encourages interaction amongst users.

The visual dialogue of the theatre shell and lobby volume creates an awareness of use that theatrically informs the lobbies spatial qualities.

Transparency of the facade can connect the public to the theatre. In this case the actual seats and stage are not visible, but the curve of the theatre shell is instantly recognizable from the theatres exterior as the volume of a performance hall.

Figure 5: Theatre lobby in use during daytime.

Figure 6: Transparency of theatre shell from exterior plaza highlighted in this night time photograph.

Figure 7: A section illustration of the theatre emphasizes the strong interface between the auditorium and the lobby space.

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A SMALL PERFORMANCE SPACE

1,000 sq. ft.

A space for emerging local talent to perform, building a fan base and promoting their work. Like the neighboring Vortex Jazz Club, the small performance hall will host nightly concerts engaging actively in Dalston’s music community. The space will be directly linked with the Theatre Hub with access to food and drinks from the pub. Beyond concerts, the space can be used for events like open mic nights, poetry nights, lectures, comedy, and film screenings. The small performance space will have the versatility to function both as a concert venue and music club. In order to allow for simultaneous shows in both the large concert venue and the small concert venue, it is important that the spaces can be acoustically separated. However, it will also be beneficial to the space that it is immediately accessible from the Theatre Hub and has a formal relationship with the large performance space. As with the large concert hall, it is important that the space is designed to allow for high quality recorded performances. The space should give visitors a comfortable and intimate concert experience, one in which they feel connected to the performers.

MAJOR ELEMENTS Intimate Stage | 1/2 Round Stepped Seating | Adaptability for Standing or Sitting Pub Linkage

COMFORTABLY PERFORMING THE YARD THEATRE Hackney Wick | London | Practice Architecture | 2011 The Yard is a theatre, bar, and restaurant located in a once abandoned warehouse in east London. The venue acts as host to both theatre and concert events. In an architecturally simple yet powerful gesture, the volume of the theatre is utilized to create two distinct yet interrelated spaces, the theatre and the bar. A curved pink wall that cups the theatre creates a gestural dialogue with the restaurant space. Plays are performed in the 110 seat theatre on weekly basis while the nights are filled out with concerts and DJ performances.

On nights when the theatre is not in use, the popular restaurant continues to function. The theatre offers social precedent as well as architectural precedent. All plays performed at the theatre are written and submitted by local playwrights. A cast of players resides at the theatre with each season.

Furthermore, the theatre partners with local non-profit groups using the space for workshops and community events. The Yard Theatre is truly of the place, serving its community on many levels of the social spectrum from those in need to people in search of a Third Place. Low cost tickets of 5-15 pounds make the Yard Theatre one of London’s most accessible theatres.

TERTIARY ELEMENTS Backstage Support | Sound/Recording/Lighting Booth | Artist Lounge

LESSONS Consider a multiplicity of uses, from theatre to music, from films to community workshops.

ACTIVITY LEVELS Morning: The space has the potential to be rented by community members for lectures, lessons, or public meetings. It is not necessary that this space is active at all times of the day as its activity is buffered by the public Theatre Hub.

A raw aesthetic makes the space approachable to the wider public. It also ads to the excitement of the place, it does not look like a theatre that has been built before yet it is rooted in the formalism of the classical greek theatre. The architecture evokes the notion of the theatre without being literal.

Afternoon: Co-op musicians can rehearse on the stage as well as utilize the space for recording with its specific acoustics.

The restaurant/bar is integral to the theatre space, it is not a secondary function but rather part of the main event. Good food can create buzz and set a venue apart from others.

Evening: It is imperative to the program’s activity and success that the space hosts, daily performances by local musicians. The consistency of the concerts in this small hall can make the theatre a “third place” for local residents.

SPATIAL RELATIONSHIPS The space will have a formal dialogue with the large performance hall and at times contain programmatic linkage.

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Programming Performance | Dalston Co-op Theatre

The surface of the theatre shell is used as a surface to project films and images making the restaurant space as much of an event as the theatre itself.

Figure 8: The theatre form reads from within the restaurant space. Intimate dining areas are created under the projection of the theatre form, giving the space a multiplicity of spatial experiences with a single gesture.

Figure 9: Raw materials form amphitheater seating in the intimate 110 seat performance space.

Guests enter the theatre by first passing under the shell that forms the seating. The undefined stage area helps break the fourth wall of theatre performance.

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THE CONCERT HALL

4,000 sq. ft.

A concert hall supporting larger acts from Dalston and around the world.

The large theatre will hold around 400 seats with the ability of floor seats to be interchangeable for standing room. The space will be home to larger acts simultaneously while supporting local bands from the Co-op. The space will be designed with the precedent of the worlds famous live music venues.

The spaces that draw musicians and music fans with equal force. As a venue for musicians the driving factors in the hall’s design will be acoustics and strengthened audience interaction. The hall must be acoustically separated from the rest of the theatre to reduce noise transfer from simultaneous events.

However the bleeding of noise from the concert hall into the Hub will be encouraged as it will introduce a degree of non visceral spatial relationships.

The hall can be utilized for a wide range of events beyond concerts, from film screenings to community meetings. The concert hall should be linked to the small performance space by the Hub. The tangential nature of the halls will allow larger events to occur at the theatre such as multiple stage music festivals.

Guardian journalist Jonathan Glancey wrote of the Vortex Jazz Club, “the aim is to attract stars, while nurturing local talent,” the new concert hall on Gillett Square will strive for the same goal.

MAJOR ELEMENTS Stage | Intimate Seating | Adaptability for Standing or Sitting TERTIARY ELEMENTS Backstage Support | Sound/Recording/Lighting Booth | Artist Lounge ACTIVITY LEVELS Morning: Musician Rehearsal or Recording (less active times).

Afternoon: Musician Rehearsal or Recording (less active times).

Evening: Larger concerts for touring musicians and local artists alike.

SPATIAL RELATIONSHIPS The space will have a formal dialogue with the small performance hall and the Theatre Hub, at times containing programmatic linkage to the small performance hall in the case of events like music festivals.

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Programming Performance | Dalston Co-op Theatre

A VENUE FOR MUSICIANS THE RYMAN AUDITORIUM Nashville, Tennessee | Hugh Cathcart Thompson | 1892 The Ryman Auditorium is a Mecca for most folk, country, and indie musicians in the United States. The 2,363 seat Ryman Auditorium is a favorite of musicians and fans alike. While much of the auditorium’s energy comes from its historic past as home to the Grand Ole Opry, today it is filled with live music spanning a plurality of genres. Beyond its history however, the environment of the hall has much to do with its unique architectural traits.

Bench seating dating from its past as a Christian Tabernacle force audience members to sit in tight proximity, more closely related to a sporting event than a standard concert venue. The striking natural oak pews give the space a warm, rich, and unpretentious atmosphere. Arranged in a large arc formation, the seating gives a strong directional focus of the audience to the musicians, increasing the connection between the audience and performer. The large volume of the space allows sound to fill the room as it was built for a time before amplification. The natural amplification of the space gives musicians the opportunity to adjust to the auditorium, making each show acoustically unique.

MUSICIANS SPEAKING OF THE RYMAN AUDITORIUM “Sweetest sounding room of all time” – Beck ”The best bloody place for a musician to play in the whole world!” – Roger Daltrey “The greatest theatre in the world!” - Coldplay LESSONS Seating layout can be used to put focus on the center of the stage as well as promote a more intimate and engaged audience.

Materiality can be used to greatly influence the sound and visceral feeling of the space.

Acute and responsive Musicians will enjoy playing in an acoustically unique space. It will challenge their skills and make their performance in the space special to that time and place.

Figure 10: The section cut through the auditorium illustrates the volumetric qualities of the famous hall. The bench seating allows 2,362 to fit in a roughly 9,000sqft. hall, at less than 4sqft. per person. Drastically less room than the theatre standard of 10sqft. per person.

Figure 11: A photograph highlighting the proximity of wooden bench seating, allowing a large number of people to fit within a small space.

GILLETT SQUARE: A SOCIAL HANGOUT

THE DALSTON COOPERATIVE A New Home for Music Production in Dalston

The Dalston Cooperative is an organization designed to support Dalston’s musical community. The co-op is programed to serve the musician, helping them break into the music industry. The co-op contains many programmatic elements in order to support the musicians that it will host. The elements have two primary goals, support the musical growth of the artists and aiding in the commercial growth of the musicians. The artists working with the co-op are professional musicians working to make a living in the music industry. As such, the co-op becomes more than just studio space, acting instead as an highly adapted office for musicians. The co-op will manage musicians as an independent record label. As a co-op, the musicians involved will have a hand in the operation of the business.

MAJOR ELEMENTS OF THE COOPERATIVE Musician Studios: Studio practice rooms for lease by local bands in need of space.

The studios will vary in size in order to serve different types of musicians from solo artists to large bands. The studios must be acoustically insulated in order to prevent sound disturbance between musicians. The studios will open onto a common area by means of large doors or operable walls allowing bands to play small concerts from within the co-op space. The optional permeability of the studio units will also encourage interaction amongst the various artist working at the co-op. Studios will be equipped with simple recording systems in order to record rehearsals. The architectural quality of the studios will be simple and refined allowing musicians to personalize the spaces to suit their individual song writing styles. Studios can be rented long term by individual bands or rented per session by many groups.

Musician Lounge: A shared space for the studio musicians. The space will include a kitchen and lounging area for musicians to utilize between practice sessions.

The beyond the necessary support functions of the lounge space, it is also included in the program to promote collaboration and interaction between the studio musicians of the co-op.

Recording Studio: As the Co-op’s function is to build it’s musicians’ commercial capabilities, recording becomes an important aspect of that process. It is through recordings that musicians will be able to share and spread their sound,

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Programming Performance | Dalston Cooperative

building the necessary fan base to tour and sell records. The studio will serve members of the co-op and release albums as an independent record label, ran and organized by the co-op. The recording studio will have access to both concert spaces in order to record live performances as well as artists looking to record with the specific acoustic characteristics of the two halls.

Music Production Studio: A studio for sound engineers to mix and master audio recorded in the studios and in the concert halls. All bands performing at the two concert halls will have the option of recording concerts creating a consistent workload for post-production sound engineers. A direct connection to the recording studios is important to the fluidity of the production process.

Digital Production Studio: The digital production studio is charged with producing digital films of live performances and takeaway shows (recorded performances in unique settings away from the concert hall as well as managing co-op musicians’ digital presence. The operation of a web site promoting both the co-op musicians and the two concert halls will aid in the commercial success of both ventures. With every band coming through the concert venue, a live performance will be recorded for the theatre’s web site and available to download. Private workstations will be required for editing film and audio.

Listening Room: A comfortable room with high quality audio and visual components will be required to screen films and preview albums before they are released publicly. The listening room, digital production studio, production studio, and recording studio should be spatially connected.

Office Space: Open plan office space will be required for the operational needs of the theatre and co-op functions.

Visiting Musician Residence: Beyond recording services, the co-op will also house a living space for visiting musicians to live in while they record albums with the co-op label. The apartment will allow musicians travelling from outside of London to focus on the creation of their records. The space can also serve touring musicians who are playing at the large venue.

Music Library: Although music will primarily occupy the digital realm, a library of works recorded at the co-op will serve as a showcase of their projects. The library will also help market their work to visiting musicians.

DALSTON’S MUSICIANS THE DALSTON COOPERATIVE

THE SPACE TO GROW MUSICALLY

THE SUPPORT TO GROW COMMERCIALLY

Leased Studio Rehearsal Space

Live and Studio Album Production

Live Performance Halls

Digital Presence Through Concert Webcasts

Recording Studios

Management Through Cooperative Record Label

WORKING MUSICIANS

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THE DALSTON COOPERATIVE ORGANIZATION

AN INDEPENDENT COOPERATIVE

The Dalston Cooperative will be an organization created for the support of Dalston’s local musicians. The platform of the Cooperative is an appropriate setting because it encourages engagement from the musicians involved, creating a supportive environment for the musicians that it is fostering. To further support the musicians, the Cooperative will operate as its own independent record label, dedicated to the commercial and musical success of the musicians involved. As a Cooperative, the musicians will take part in the operation of the facilities and the business, encouraging a high level of professionalism from the musicians. The Dalston Cooperative will effectively become an office environment for local musicians. Supportive elements of recording studios, practice studios, an office for Cooperative administrators and employees, and direct adjacencies to world class theatres will all encourage the success of the musicians as well as the cooperative.

THE COLUMBUS COOPERATIVE AND COLUMBUS THEATRE Providence, Rhode Island | 2012

MAJOR ELEMENTS Musicians’ Rehearsal Studios | Musicians’ Lounge | Recording Studio | Library Album Screening Room | Cooperative Office Space | Album/Video Production Space TERTIARY ELEMENTS Changing Rooms | Bike Storage | Service Space | Employee Kitchen ACTIVITY LEVELS Morning: Cooperative office operations and Musician Rehearsal/Recording.

Afternoon: Cooperative office operations and Musician Rehearsal/Recording.

Evening: Musician Rehearsal/Recording SPATIAL RELATIONSHIPS The Cooperative should have linkages to the Cooperative Theatre as well as Gillett Square. An active office environment that fronts the square will encourage the use of the square as well as its many micro-businesses.

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Programming Performance | Dalston Co-op Theatre

“Formed in summer 2012, the Columbus Cooperative comprises members of the music, design, nonprofit, and hospitality industries. Working on a volunteer basis alongside the Theatre’s ownership, the Cooperative works to reinvigorate both the Theatre and the West End (Providence) community by programming a range of unique live events in an unequaled space.” -The Columbus Cooperative The Columbus Cooperative operates a theatre as well as a small recording studio and record label. The small cooperative is set apart from other similar endeavours because of the impressive range of musical and art related acts that they host in the community run theatre. With the reopening of the historic Columbus Theatre, the cooperative hosted an 8 hour concert celebrating the venues resurrection. The cooperative continues to host large musical events drawing fans from around the New England region. On evenings without live music, films are screened in the theatre to fill out the schedule.

LESSONS Create relationships with neighboring business in order to boost the energy of live events. In the case of the Columbus Theatre, a reciprocal relationship was created with local food carts.

Make each concert an event. Put together concerts with multiple bands and create theme shows in order increase the interest in the different performances.

Build a community base for the organization, if it gives to the community the community will give back by supporting the venue.

Figure 12. A performance on the stage of the Columbus Theatre.

A casual environment is created despite the more formal qualities of the performance hall.

Figure 13. A lively marquee marks the entrance to the theatre while a reciprocal relationship is made with a local food truck that serves food outside the theatre during performances.

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MUSICIANS’ STUDIOS A series of rehearsal studios will give musician in London who do not have the proper space for music rehearsal the proper environment. The studios will be designed to be acoustically isolated, reducing the bleeding of sound from one studio to the next. The interiors of the studio spaces will be left sparse to encourage the individualization of each space by the individual bands renting the space. Studios will open onto a shared lounge space intended for the intermingling of musicians. A kitchen will be included in the lounge as a support to the long hours need for rehearsals. Studios will be rented by cooperative musicians and can be shared amongst multiple musicians or rented by a single band. Touring bands will be encouraged to share the studio with other touring groups to maximize the active usage of studio spaces. Studio will also have a removable partition on the lounge face, this will allow for spontaneous performances. Simple recording mechanisms will be included in each studio allowing musicians to review rehearsals, fine tuning songs and encouraging consistent musical growth.

MAJOR ELEMENTS Studios | Musician Lounge TERTIARY ELEMENTS Kitchen | Connection to Cooperative Spaces ACTIVITY LEVELS Morning: Musician Rehearsal Afternoon: Musician Rehearsal Evening: Musician Rehearsal / Impromptu Performances SPATIAL RELATIONSHIPS The spaces must have a connection to the Cooperative Office space as well as linkage to the Cooperative Theatre. A visual linkage to Gillett Square could visually activate the square when the theatres are not active.

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Programming Performance | Dalston Co-op Theatre

INTEGRATING ARCHITECTURAL AND MUSICAL PERFORMANCE GEORGES POMPIDOU NATIONAL CENTER FOR ARTS AND CULTURE INSTITUTE OF CONTEMPORARY RESEARCH ON ACOUSTICS AND MUSIC Paris, France | Studio Piano and Rodgers | 1971-77 The Pompidou National Center for Arts and Culture serves as a precedent towards the experimentation with sound recording and acoustic separation of rehearsal and recording space. The center includes various recording spaces that work as an architecturally realized “musical instrument.” The Renzo Piano Building Workshop writes of the space in the book Architecture and Music, “The ICRAM is a completely insulated ‘box,’ inserted in a hole in the ground from which it is independent. The parasitic vibrations of street traffic and the metro trains are thus eliminated.” The recording spaces also are designed with a variability of allowable reverberation through the use of adjustable form and volume metrics. Sound in the spaces can be adjusted to have a variation in reverberation from 0.6 seconds (a cinema) to 6 seconds (a cathedral). The lessons in acoustic separation seen in the design of the recording spaces is important to the design of the many projects many co-op studios.

LESSONS Reduce the structural connections between performance spaces. Rigid structures transfer “parasitic vibrations,” if spaces can float away from the structure sound leakage can be reduced.

Different artist may want adaptable acoustic inputs in their studios. Techniques were used at ICRAM to create distinctive soundscapes for each room, with adjustable inputs in sound functions like reverberation time.

Functions were pushed underground in order to open up a public plaza and sculpture garden above. This projects introduces a passive method of creating public space.

Figure 14. A building section illustrating the many acoustically isolated chambers designed through the collaboration of Architects, Scientists, Sound Engineers, and Musicians. The Building plays like a fine tuned musical instrument.

Figure 15. The building plan model highlights the spatial relationship between the music research center and the larger Pompidou Center to its right. The cellular nature of the Music Center becomes clear in contrast to the open plan of the Art Center.

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THE COOPERATIVE OFFICES

A COLLABORATIVE OFFICE ENVIRONMENT

The Cooperative Offices will house all of the business support functions for the two theatres, the Cooperative Musicians, as well as the Cooperative Record Label. The office will be designed as an open office in order to encourage functional interaction between employees. The offices will utilize the existing structure at the northern edge of the existing parking surface. The integration contemporary design in a historic context will be the primary design focus in this space. The office will have its design focus rooted in the appreciation of existing material textures with a design intent on bringing light into the space as it will lie deeper in the buildings spatial volume. The open office environment will be subdividing using pod like elements, creating private spaces within an otherwise open office landscape.

NORTH Portland, Oregon | Skylab Architecture 2007

MAJOR ELEMENTS Office Floor | Recording Studios | Production Studios | Library | Screening Room TERTIARY ELEMENTS Kitchen Space | Office Storage ACTIVITY LEVELS Morning: Daily Office Functions

North is an advertising agency located in Portland, Oregon. The design of the office has many common functions as the co-ops post production needs. The space includes many cellular pods that allow for the editing of film and audio for digital advertisements. The open office structure encourages collaboration between workers while the inclusion of break away spaces allows for individual production. As both the creative and digital production functions of the office are similar to that of the co-op, it stands of as a strong programmatic precedent. Continually, its location within a historic warehouse matches that of the co-op which will predominately be housed within the existing warehouse building on the Gillett Square site. The aesthetic contrast of modern elements in the historic space give the space a characteristically creative environment.

LESSONS In the refurbishment of a historic space, modular elements can help organize the space without distracting from the buildings historic fabric.

Private individualized spaces allow for efficient editing and post production of film and sound recordings.

Afternoon: Daily Office Functions Evening: Less Active (office will likely function 9a-7p) SPATIAL RELATIONSHIPS The office does not need direct access to the theatres but a linkage will be necessary. Direct access to the rehearsal studios will be more important to office function. A degree of frontage on Gillett Square will help activate the square during the daytime while the theatres will be less active.

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Programming Performance | Dalston Cooperative

Open workstations allow for constructive collaborations between team members in the office. An open kitchen within the main workspace encourages further interaction between office employees.

Figure 16.

A floating wooden vessel serves as a meeting room while the black volumes are private editing suites for the firm’s film and audio engineers.

––– precedent –––

VISITING MUSICIAN RESIDENCE

AN PLAYFUL PLACE TO STAY

A further element towards the support of the recording artists and performers utilizing the Cooperative Theatres, the Musician Residence will provide a unique lodging environment for visiting artists. The residence, will give recording artist from outside of London a place to stay while recording albums as well as touring musicians performing in the concert hall. The Visiting Musician Residence may seem like a tertiary element of the overall design, however, if executed correctly the residence can inspire creativity. By giving artists a unique and creative environment to spend the night, the goal of this programmatic element is to further the creative potential of musicians. As such the space must approach living functions from a new and creative angle where functionality does not matter as much as originality, the creation of a spontaneous space as a precipice for compounded creativity.

A ROOM FOR LONDON Southbank Centre, London | David Kohn Architects + Fiona Banner

MAJOR ELEMENTS Creative Space | Living Space | Cooking Space | Sleeping Space TERTIARY ELEMENTS Restroom | Access ACTIVITY LEVELS Morning: Morning Routine | Creative Facilitation Afternoon: Creative Facilitation

A Room for London was designed and built as part of an architecture competition to design a small space for two to spend a night at one of London’s most visible landmarks, Queen Elizabeth Hall. The team of architects and artists designed a boat to be placed on the roof of the iconic building. The boat form is pulled from the imagery of the River Thames that it overlooks. Artists and musicians with work at the Southbank Centre often get the opportunity to spend a night in the room while they are working in London. The space not only fulfills the function of providing space for sleeping but it is also a space that inspires creative by giving residents a unique environment, an extraordinary perch over London. The Room For London was designed to inspire whimsy, to inspire the creation of new art, a prompt that the artists residence for the Dalston Cooperative should also assume.

LESSONS Find a unique location for the artist residence, as it has the opportunity to inspire the creation of new art.

Playfulness by the part of the designer will garner public attention as well as that of the artist. This is a secondary opportunity to draw in touring musicians by giving them an unique experience of the city, beyond what they could have enjoyed performing in any other hall in the city.

Evening: Evening Routine | Creative Facilitation SPATIAL RELATIONSHIPS The space should have a visual connection to Gillett Square because the square is a hub of creativity and an inspiration towards artistic creation.

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Programming Performance | Dalston Cooperative

Not an architectural precedent as much an idea precedent towards the creation of a creative space. However, where the Room For London is inextricably linked to the Thames, the Visiting Musician Residence should be inextricably linked to Dalston and Gillett Square.

Figure 17. A Room For London teeters precariously on the roof of London’s Queen Victoria Hall. The room offers an unparalleled creative environment for residence on the banks of the River Thames.

GILLETT SQUARE: A PLACE TO PLAY

COMPREHENSIVE PROGRAM

SHARED SPACES

DALSTON CO-OP THEATRE

LOADING DOCK...........................................................................................800 Sq. Ft

• Access at West Alley of Gillett Square

• Connection to Storage and Stage Area

BIN STORE.....................................................................................................200 Sq. Ft.

• Located off of West Alley of Gillett Square

• Services both the Theatre and the Co-op

Dalston Cooperative and Dalston Co-op Theatre Programing Elements

THE THEATRE HUB....................................................................................5,000 Sq. Ft.

• Lobby

• Ticket Booth

• Spontaneous Performance Space

• Open Pub/Cafe

• Pub/Cafe Kitchen

• Dining Breakout Space on Gillett Square

• Public Entrance THE CONCERT HALL................................................................................4,000 Sq. Ft.

• 400 Seats / Adaptable to 1,000 Person Standing Room

• Sound Recording / Lighting Booth

• Open Format Stage THE SMALL PERFORMANCE SPACE.....................................................1,000 Sq. Ft.

• 100 Seats / Adaptable for Standing Room

• Amphitheater Seating.

• Floor Level Stage ROOF TERRACE.........................................................................................3,000 Sq. Ft.

• Grass Turf Ground Covering

• 200 Sq. Ft. Roof Deck Stage

• White wall surface for film screenings and concert projections

• Wet Bar GREEN ROOM (2).......................................................400 Sq. Ft. (each) / 800 Sq. Ft.

• Simple Kitchen Equipment EQUIPMENT STORAGE.............................................................................1000 Sq. Ft.

• Situated Between Stages and Loading Dock

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Programming Performance | Program Table

EMPLOYEE BIKE LOCKER...........................................................................600 Sq. Ft.

• Bike parking for Employees and Musicians EMPLOYEE CHANGING ROOMS (2)....................200 Sq. Ft. (Each) / 400 Sq. Ft.

• Male and female changing rooms with showers

DALSTON COOPERATIVE

REHEARSAL STUDIOS (10)..........................100-1000 Sq. Ft. (each) / 5,000 Sq. Ft.

• Varied size studios available to Co-op members for lease.

• Opens onto lounge for impromptu performances OPEN REHEARSAL STUDIOS (4)..........................500 Sq. Ft. (each) / 2,000 Sq. Ft.

• Available to rent for smaller time slots MUSICIAN LOUNGE..................................................................................1000 Sq. Ft.

• Adjacent to Studios

• Includes a fully equipped kitchen RECORDING STUDIO................................................................................1000 Sq. Ft.

ALBUM AND FILM SCREENING ROOM..................................................500 Sq. Ft.

• Space for screening all films and recordings before they

are published ALBUM AND FILM LIBRARY......................................................................500 Sq. Ft.

• Storage and display for Cooperative archive of concert

and studio recordings

VISITING MUSICIAN RESIDENCE | 1000 Sq. Ft.

• Eating / Living / Sleeping

• Bed space for large bands (bunk room)

SERVICES COOPERATIVE AND THEATRE SERVICE AND CIRCULATION SPACES 20% of Total Square Footage | 6,360 Sq. Ft.

TOTAL SPACE DALSTON COOPERATIVE & DALSTON CO-OP THEATRE | 38,160 Sq. Ft.

8am 9am 10am 11am 12pm 1pm 2pm 3pm 4pm 5pm 6pm 7pm 8pm 9pm 10pm 11pm

(right) Fig. 20. Usage Patterns of Major Program Areas

12am

Cooperative Office

Recording Studios

Music Studios

Roof Terrace

The Hub

Small Theatre

Large Theatre

DALSTON COOPERATIVE OFFICE | 4000 Sq. Ft.

• Open plan office for operation of the theatre and cooperative

record label.

• Modular Pod System for meeting spaces and private offices.

• Film and Sound engineering in post-production pods.

• Spatial Connection to Album and Film Library

• Media Lab

PROGRAM ADJACENCIES Adjacency Web and Adjacency Diagram

COOPERATIVE THEATRE Theatre Hub Small Performance Space Large Performance Hall THE DALSTON COOPERATIVE Cooperative Library Screening Room Recording Studio Dalston Cooperative Offices Musicians’ Lounge Musicians’ Studios

THE DALSTON COOPERATIVE Cooperative Library Screening Room Recording Studio Dalston Cooperative Offices Musicians’ Lounge Musicians’ Studios

SHARED SERVICES Employee Bike Locker Employee Changing Rooms Loading Dock Bin Store

SHARED SERVICES Employee Bike Locker Employee Changing Rooms Loading Dock Bin Store

VISITING MUSICIAN RESIDENCE Visiting Musician Residence GILLETT SQUARE

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COOPERATIVE THEATRE Theatre Hub Small Performance Space Large Performance Hall

Programming Performance | Program Diagrams

VISITING MUSICIAN RESIDENCE Visiting Musician Residence GILLETT SQUARE

VISITING MUSICIAN RESIDENCE

COOPERATIVE LIBRARY

LARGE PERFORMANCE HALL

SCREENING ROOM

SMALL PERFORMANCE SPACE DALSTON COOPERATIVE OFFICES

THEATRE HUB RECORDING STUDIO THE CO-OP THEATHER

GILLETT SQUARE

THE DALSTON COOPERATIVE

ROOF TERRACE

MUSICIANS’ LOUNGE

MUSICIANS’ STUDIOS SHARED SERVICES EMPLOYEE BIKE LOCKER EMPLOYEE CHANGING ROOMS

BIN STORE LOADING DOCK

Direct Connection Visual Proximity Major Spatial Groupings

IMAGE DOCUMENTATION Unless otherwise noted, all images and diagrams are my own.

Figure 2 Loving Dalston <http://lovingdalston.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Popup9-

618x607.jpg> Figure 3 Arcola Theatre <http://www.arcolatheatre.com/> Figure 5 Steve Cadman <http://www.flickr.com/photos/stevecadman/3020418968/> Figure 6-7 Bennett Associates Architects <http://www.bennettsassociates.com/portfolio/9406/> Figure 8-9 Andy Matthews | The Yard Theatre <http://theyardtheatre.co.uk/what-we-are/> Figure 10 Kronenburg, Robert. 2012. Live architecture: popular music venues, stages, and arenas.

London: Routledge.

Figure 11 Gaylord Entertainment Figure 12-13 Frank Mullin <http://frankmullin.com/> Figure 14-15 Piano, Renzo, and Renzo Piano. 2002. Architettura & musica: sette cantieri per la musica

dallâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Ircam di Parigi allâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Auditorium di Roma = Architecture & music : seven

sites for music from the Ircam in Paris to the Auditorium in Rome. Milano:

Edizioni Lybra immagine.

Figure 16 Skylab Architecture <http://skylabarchitecture.com/>

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Image Citations

GILLETT SQUARE: A THIRD PLACE