Flanagan Lawrence has won a competition to design a new Summer Theatre in Kasprowicza Park, Szczecin, Poland. The outdoor performance space will update an original structure, including the arch—made from a membrane of plastic fibres—designed by Zbigniew Abrahamowicz and opened to the public in 1976. Read more about this project after the break.
The new design is meant to maximize the flexibility of the 1976 theatre for a variety of performances, adding a roof to enclose the stage and audience; and adding 2500 seats, a box office, bathrooms, a café and a refurbished backstage area.
The roof has been acoustically optimised to “enhance and project the natural acoustic for orchestral events” by being structural independent of the existing arch. A curved truss serves as the edge beam of a single cable net structure that supports the inflated fabric roof panels and suspended acoustic reflectors. Two additional trusses span the stage to support the load of the lighting grid.
Curved glazing encloses the back of the stage acoustically, offering views onto Rusalka Lake and creating “a scenic backdrop to performance."
"The doubly-curved roof form follows the natural slope of the amphitheatre on the existing hillside to retain the views across the park, and then dramatically lifts over the stage to provide the necessary height for the performance area," said firm director Jason Flanagan
The theatre is set to open in 2018.
Architects
Location
Szczecin, PolandArchitect in Charge
Flanagan LawrenceAcoustics
ArupStructural Engineering
Expedition EngineeringProject Year
2018Photographs
Courtesy of Flanagan LawrenceArea
16659.0 m2
