Tempest: a theatre for the Aegean Archipelago

TEMPEST a theatre for the Aegean Archipelago

Stenou Aliki & Triantafyllidis Theoklitos | Professor: Papalexopoulos Dimitris Advisors: Gyparakis Georgios, Gyftopoulos Stavros, Mazarakos Thomas Thesis Project, Academic Year 2012 National Technical University of Athens, School of Architecture

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TEMPEST a theatre for the Aegean Archipelago

Stenou Aliki & Triantafyllidis Theoklitos | Professor: Papalexopoulos Dimitris Advisors: Gyparakis Georgios, Gyftopoulos Stavros, Mazarakos Thomas Thesis Project, Academic Year 2012 National Technical University of Athens, School of Architecture

Contents Map of the Archipelago. ............ 07 C r u i s e o f C y c l a d e s .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0 9 S u g g e s t e d L o c a t i o n s .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 1 A n c h o r a g e T y p o l o g i e s .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 3 S h i p R e c o n s t r u c t i o n .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 5 D i a g r a m m s .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 7 P o r t P e r s p e c t i v e .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 9 A x o n o m e t r i c D r a w i n g .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 1 Plans(Hull).............................. 23 P l a n s ( S u p e r s t r u c t u r e ) .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 5 S e c t i o n s A n d E l e v a t i o n s .. . . . . . . . . . . 2 7 C r o s s S e c t i o n A - A .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 9 S a m p l e A r r a n g e m e n t s .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 1 Pe r s p e c t i v e S e c t i o n .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 3 C o n t r u c t i o n D e t a i l s .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 5 D e t a i l e d C r o s s S e c t i o n .. . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 7 T h e a t r e P e r s p e c t i v e .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 9 Final Models............................ 41 R e s e a r c h .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 5 S t u d i o S p a c e .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 7 R e f e r e n c e s .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 9

We rely on the belief that the Aegean Sea is a dispersed city to which we offer a communication channel, a cultural bridge, a ship - theater.

The sea becomes our site, the waves and the iron our environment.

The superstructure, the decks and the holds our alternative spaces. We take the structure of the hull as starting point, we translate it into architectural space and manage to offer to the director a flexible theatrical tool.

Our central design procedure is the removal of all decks and walls from the superstructure which was previously fragmented.

Thus, we create a huge void in the ‘body’ of the vessel in which we introduce the theater. We keep only the outer plates of the superstructure and support them with a dense system of metal frames, keeping the rhythm of the ship’s hold frames and extending it to the whole theater. Then we focus on the light and by further perforating the shell we let the light enter dynamically.

We now put the public under the starry sky, followed by the escort of the summer chill, the saltiness, the motion of the sea and the metal sounds. And even inside a shell full of memories which are silently revealed by the traces on the walls and the exposed smokestacks.

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Map of the Archipelago

the dispersed urbanity of the Aegean Sea

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Context The starting point of our research on “floating” architecture was the theme of the Greek participation in the 10th Architecture Biennale of Venice , “The Dispersed Urbanity of the Aegean Archipelago” (Tab.1). As mentioned in the introduction of its catalogue, this exhibition is based on the heretical belief of the historian Ruggiero Romano that the Archipelago of the Aegean Sea is a city. * Following this idea, we see the Aegean Sea as a cluster of islands that function as a whole, creating a network but also retaining each its own character. In this dispersed city certain governing and automous structures have been created supporting the idea of decentralization. At the same time, with the development of some coherent social ties we face a ‘decentralized centrality’ *. Even though there is a theoretical basis that describes this condition, there are only a few historical and contemporary examples that seem to take it into consideration when designing the infrastructures. For example there are some efforts to create a network of the rural clinics that exist in the various islands (with the larger ones being at Syros or Crete), with the help of modern technologies, and the initiatives of various amateur groups. Besides these rare exaples though, we observe that the dominant model is the dispersion of various small infrastructure projects in the various islands, which usually cover the minimum of their needs.

In contrast to the latter strategy of providing separate structures and services we suggest a model of common infrastructure of a big scale, which attempt to solve the problems of the dispersed city and are based on the idea of moving. We choose to apply this strategy on the field of culture and more specifically we suggest a travelling theater that can act as a communication channel (a bridge) between the islands. We take an existing ship and transform it to a theater, trying to create our shiptheater.

As an indicative roote we propose a circumnavigation of the Cyclades Islands (Tab.2), which we consider the heart of the Archipelagos, and to which we are mostly connected since many years. The circumnavigation is designed after taking into account the proximity of the islands as well as the existing classification into island groups. The beginning and the end of the journey is Ermoupolis, the capital of Syros, which is also the geographical and cultural capital of the Cyclades Islands, and also the starting point of our investigation and inspiration. The list of the ports of the Cyclades Islands (pin.3a) (see source) is proposed as a guide in the hands of each director for the selection of the

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ideal location for the performance of the ship-theater. More precisely, for the port of Syros we propose some locations that are situated in completely different environments and can offer from an isolated atmosphere connected to nature (p1) to a very noisy one inside the bustling urban environment (p. 7). As far as the way the ship connects to the dock, there are two main ways (pin.8), alongside and the mooring but we also encourage the access by small boats by the sea.

The Ship The ship chosen for our project, with the contribution of the Shipbuilding Department, is the Spanish research Vessel called Hesperides (pin.4). This choice was mainly made because of its excellent cruising capability in open sea, its stability and maneuverability in limited space.

Additionally, it has an ideal size (length, width, draft) for all ports and for the theater itself, that will be hosted inside. Finally, it has a special form, which we found very interesting from the beginning and which, having its main superstructure in the centre, favored the trilateral division of the ship into a foyer, a theater and a residential space for the troupe. Those are indeed the main uses in our project(pin.5).

Our concept is based on the idea of digging (Tab.6) the bulk of the ship. Inner walls, decks, partitions and furniture, originally fragmenting the inner space of the ship, are eradicated leaving their traces on the outside walls of a big, unitied open space that is now created in order to host our theater. Perceiving this space as the core of the ship-theatre, we try to use all surrounding areas in order to serve it. After entering the ship, the audience finds a large open air space on the stern of the ship, which plays the role of an urban square and tries to gather people and introduce them to the atmosphere of the ship. Then one moves on to the semi- open air foyer, which is a flexible space, and its character depends on the show. Finally, through a narrow passage the viewer enters the big void where there is the theater! By that, we aim to surprise and awe the audience. Behind the theater, and towards the bow of the ship are the cabins and the public areas for the crew and the troupe. The crew of the ship resides in the front vertical part of the superstructure, which has on top of it the pilot house and the captain’s cabin. In the bow of the ship we perforate the upper deck and create an atrium with a tree and a small auditorium for rehearsals to gather the troupe and serve its daily life. ●

1. Group Work, The Dispersed Urbanity of the Aegean Archipelago: 10th International Exhibition of Architecture Venice Biennale: Greek Participation, Futura, Hellenic Ministry of Culture, 2006

Cruise of Cyclades Suggested Route

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4

3

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Cyclades Port Diagramms πηγή:

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7

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8

5

2

1

Examples of Port Connections Ermoupolis, Syros

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1

5

2

6

3

7

4

8

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Ermoupolis

Suggested Locations

A. Mooring

Access via hinged ramp

B. Side Mooring Access via bridges

C. Freefloating Anchorage Access by boats

Anchorage Typologies

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Hesperides

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Tempest

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Collage

Subtractive Process

Cabins Typology

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Foyer Typology

Additive Process

Uses

Circulation

Scale Comparison

Diagramms

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Port Perspective Access via bridges

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01. Open Space Foyer 02. Sheltered Foyer/Restaurant 03. Elevated Foyer/Restaurant 04. Food Preparation 05. Reception 06. Canteen 07. Theatre - Main Stage 08. Technicians Room 09. Experimental Stage 10. Lounge 11. Crew Cabins 12. Captain/ First engineer 13. Bridge 14. Artists’ Cabins 15. Kitchen 16. Atrium 17. Backstage

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6

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5 3

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1

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15 12

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7

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Axonometric Drawing proposed uses

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MAIN DECK

1st DECK

2nd DECK

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Plans(Hull)

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Top View

04 DECK

03 DECK

02 DECK

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01 DECK

Plans(Superstructure)

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THE MODERN THEATER - A TOOL In the process of designing a theater, our theater, we have to express our opinion on how we see the modern theater and its relation with the architecture, that houses it and surrounds it. We explore the relationship between the ‘housed’ art - the art of acting - and the ‘housing’ art architecture-, which plays a key role in designing. Since the housed art detects or proposes spatial arrangements within its own expressive concerns, the housing art must adapt its special buildings to provide opportunities for creating new, every time,’’ theatrical points” (Petros Martinidis, Metamorphosis of the theatrical space, 1999).

The theatrical process creates instant and successive imaginary architectures that dictate their own settings to the permanent building, while on the other side this building and its constructional logic are highly associated with the theatrical process. Architecture becomes in this way a dramatic action and a dramatic action becomes architecture. We are looking therefore for the theater that serves this scheme, which is capable of transforming and getting transformed. A theater - tool, a mechanism that makes the dramaturgical and architectural contrivances head not parallelly but successively. (Peter Martinidis, Metamorphosis of the theatrical space, 1999).

THE SHIP - THEATER We place the theater into a ship, realizing the charm of this space and the infinite possibilities it offers. The ship, a floating piece of space, a place without a place, that lives for itself, closed on itself and left at the same time to the vastness of the sea (Michel Foucault - Des espaces autres 1967) carries a theater which seeks to communicate its art and to connect the cluster of the islands in the Greek Archipelagos. We create the shiptheater, which retains its independent, magical inner world while asking from the audience to explore it. The sea is our land and the bridges the roads that let the audience get on board. The ripple, the iron, the light and the sea air is the environment. The multiple places of the superstructure, the decks and the holds are the different options for a theatrical action. The dramatic art has been anyway seeking since a long time seemingly non-theatrical spaces to take place: warehouses, moldy basements, bathrooms, ruins, makeshift huts etc. Our goal, however, is to further design this space to be able to operate in accordance with all requirements of the modern and classical theater, to be fully equipped and ready to

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accommodate a wide repertoire. We design a theatermachine with a special scenography which however can instantly disappear, if needed, and give place to different directorial options. We take as starting point the pace dictated by the shipbuilding, we then translate it into architecture and finally let it to the hands of the director to orchestrate it.

SCENOGRAPHY - ATMOSPHERE We try to combine the intense scenography of the ship with the theatrical space. Our central design option is to remove the entire mass of the decks and walls of the superstructure while keeping its outside walls and frame.

We thus create a huge gap in the ‘body’ of the ship, a big box in which we put our theater. The outer plates of the superstructure now stand like fragile leaves so we have to support them with a dense system of metal frames, keeping the rhythm of the ship’s ribs, unifying thus the hull with the theatre. The constructional system becomes part of the scenography. Next thing we do is focus on the light. We already see it pervading in bundles from the portholes at different levels. In the same logic we design additional openings in the superstructure, allowing the light to enter the space more dynamically - like a rain. The natural light playfully seems to work like headlights during the morning and as the day passes and the sun disappears the openings frame the stars. By removing the glass we allow even the wind and the rain to penetrate, making the space semi -open air. The practice of perforating the superstructure culminates in the central circular opening created in the ‘dome’ of the theater. The starry sky, the summer chill, the saltiness, the ripple, the metallic sounds: the whole environment stirs the senses. And even inside a ship where the traces of the eradicated metal walls and the presence of the ship’s smokestacks bring memories of its previous use, making the viewer feel a sense of a diachronic and interhuman participation.

+16.55

+16.55

+12.90

+12.90

+10.30

+10.30

+5.20

+5.20

+2.60

+2.60

+0.00

+0.00

-2.60

-2.60

Cross Section B-B

Cross Section C-C

Stern Elevation

Bow Elevation

Sections And Elevations κλείδα

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κλείδα

Cross Section A-A

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Linear Stage

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THE MECHANISM OF THE THEATRE - THE MOVING LEVELS In the top of the theater and in order to cover most of the scenery needs we place a grid of metal beams and mechanisms that allow the suspension and moving of the scenery sets. Rows of lights also hang from this grid as well as a trolley that serves the technicians and which can be clearly used as part of the scenography, something that applies to the space (regional corridors, central staircases, vertical auxiliary stairs etc).

Italian Stage

Central Stage

The amphitheater and the stage are formed by six separate planes that move with the help of hydraulic pistons. In this way, the director can change both the inclination and the layout of the amphitheater. Thus, the relationship between the viewer and the actor is also redefined according to the perspective of each director.

You can form either a frontal relation, as in the case of the Italian scene where all the audience sees the actors and the stage, or more complex relations, as in the central and linear stage where half of the audience faces the other half and eventually all of them the actors and the scene that is set between them. Finally, when the director introduces a more flexible relationship between all attendees of the show, during which the roles of the spectators and the actors are continuously redefined or reversed, the interaction between the actors and the spectators is more direct and spatially more dispersed. In this case, we provide a possibility of uniting the different levels into a single one, replacing the seats with other items such as sunbags, barrels, tires or whatever serves the directorial standpoint.

The separate levels are another system to the otherwise large open space, and to make that clear they are cut from the regional corridors, creating a gap that is highlighted by spotlights from below. Thus, we give the audience a sense of flotation, which is enhanced by the material chosen for these levels, perforated metal. In this way the viewer can see the limits of the surrounding space since the gaze can travel in all directions. When though the lights go out, the director takes on, the eyes focus on the stage and the architectural surrounding discreetly disappears into darkness. â—?

Free Arrangement

Sample Arrangements

movable floor and spectators seating

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Perspective Section Typical Arrangement

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Contruction Perspective

02.Έπιπλο-Κερκίδα Θεάτρου 01

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03

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01.Πανέλα Φουαγίε/Τραπεζαρία

Furnishing Details

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Cross Section Detailed

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Theatre Perspective Central Stage

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1:200 Model, Metallic Model-Materiallity

Final Models

Theatre Interion 1:50

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Final Model Section 1:75

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1. παραμόρφωση βασικών γεωμετρικών σχημάτων

2. νησί

3. παραμόρφωση επιφάνειας

4. σκάψιμο - διαμόρφωση υπόσκαφων χώρων

5. παραμόρφωση της γεωμετρίας της βάρκας

6. επανάχρηση πλοίου

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Research

Preliminary Sketches

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Studio Space Working Models

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Bibliography: Cacciari, Massimo, “The Archipelago”, Travlos, Athens, 1999 Kotzia Katerina, Konstantopoulos, Elias Papadopoulos, Lois, Filoxenidou, Korina (curator).

Collective Work, “The Dispersed Urbanity of the Aegean Archipelago”, 10th International Exhibition of Architecture Venice Biennale: Greek Participation, Futura, Ministry of Culture and Tourism, 2006 Belavilas, Nick, “Human Places, Comments on the space and politics,” Avgi / Politis, Athens, 2005 Philippides, D. (curator), “The Islands of the Aegean Sea, Architecture”, Melissa, Athens, 2003 Agriantoni Ch Fenerli A., Karakoulidis I., “Ermoúpolis Syros, Historical Journey” Third Revised Edition, Olkos, Athens, 2010 Travlos Ioannis, Kokkou Angeliki, “Ermoúpolis. The creation of a new city in Syros in the early 19th century”, Emporiki Bank of Greece, Athens, 1980 Omiros, “Odyssey”, trans. Nikiforidis Babis, Sokoli - Kouledaki, Athens, 2004 Kavadias, Nikos, “Marabou & Pousi”, Galaxias, Athens, 1961 Mavrotas, Takis (Exh insp.), “Throwing light to the Cyclades Islands”, exhibition catalog, Museum of Cycladic Art, Athens, 2006 Rivellis, Platon, “50 Photographs 50 Texts,” Photochoros, Athens, 2006 Eyres, David J, “Ship Construction”, Fifth Edition, Butterworth-Heinemann, Oxford, 2001 Strong, Judith (Editor), “Theatre Buildings: A Design Guide (Association of British Theatre)”, Routledge, NY, 2010 Ogawa, Toshiro, “Theatre Engineering And Stage Machinery”, Entertainment Technology Press Ltd, United Kingdom, 2001 Martinidis, Petros, “Metamorphosis of the theatrical space”, Nefeli, Athens, 1999 Kane, Sarah, “Complete Plays”, Methuen Drama, London, 2001 Shakespeare, William, “The Tempest”, trans. M. Panagiotakis, Stigmi, Athens 1998 San Rocco Magazine # 1, “Islands”, Venice, Italy, 2011 The Floater E-Magazine # 1, “On Floatation”, http://floatermagazine.com/issue01/

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Andrea Zittel_ A-Z Desserted Island

Anish Kapoor and Arata Isozaki_Ark Nova

Christo and Jeanne-Claude_Surrounded Islands

Olaf Pfeifer+Binke Lenhardt_Baseball Stadium@the NY Bay

Studio Noach_Spa Wellness Amsterdam

Arnold Bocklin_The Island of the Dead

Τάκης Ζενέτος_Θέατρο Λυκαβηττού

Unknown Artist_Unknown Floater

Unknown Artist_Nest

Friedrich Kiesler_Universal Theater

Unknown Artist_Floating Modular Platform

DillerScofildio_Blur Building

David Fielding_Set Design for André Chénier

Unknown Artist_Spherical Steel Structure

PTW Architects_Beijing National Aquatics Center

Killer Whale

White Architects_Kastrup Sea Bath

BIG_National Gallery of Greenland

Croatian Pavilion_Bienale Di Venecia

Unknown Artist_Submarine

EMBT_ Spain Pavillion@Shanghai Expo 2010

Kengo Kuma_Inflatable Tea House

Aldo Rossi_Teatro Del Mundo

One Piece_Going Merry

Traditional Boat

LNG Carrier Vessel

Doug Aitken_Black Mirror

Max Studio_Bigfoot Stadium

Azart_Ship of Fools

Spanish Navy_R/V Hesperides (A-33)

Unknown Artist_Papercraft Boat

OMA_Casa da Musica

References ships and islands

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We would like to warmly thank: our fellow students for their advice, discussions and practical help, our teachers for their support and knowledge and our faculty for the logistical support.

TEMPEST

a theatre for the Aegean Archipelago

Stenou Aliki & Triantafyllidis Theoklitos Thesis Project, Academic Year 2012 National Technical University of Athens, School of Architecture

We rely on the belief that the Aegean Sea is a dispersed city to which we offer a communication channel, a cultural bridge, a ship - theater.

The sea becomes our site, the waves and the iron our environment. The superstructure, the decks and the holds our alternative spaces. We take the structure of the hull as starting point, we translate it into architectural space and manage to offer to the director a flexible theatrical tool.

Our central design procedure is the removal of all decks and walls from the superstructure which was previously fragmented. Thus, we create a huge void in the ‘body’ of the vessel in which we introduce the theater. We keep only the outer plates of the superstructure and support them with a dense system of metal frames, keeping the rhythm of the ship’s hold frames and extending it to the whole theater. Then we focus on the light and by further perforating the shell we let the light enter dynamically.

We now put the public under the starry sky, followed by the escort of the summer chill, the saltiness, the motion of the sea and the metal sounds. And even inside a shell full of memories which are silently revealed by the traces on the walls and the exposed smokestacks.

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