Theater: The Latest Architecture and News

The consortium formed of international studio Henning Larsen, Australian office Architectus, and global consultants Arup has been selected to transform the Canberra Theater Center into a vibrant and inclusive space. The project is developed in consultation with First Nations peoples to ensure that Canberra’s Civic and Cultural District will become a welcoming space for both artists and audiences. The winning tender includes preliminary designs that depict a new theater building to be added to the district, in addition to the renovation of the Courtyard Studio, Canberra Theater, and The Playhouse.

The Tennessee Performing Arts Center (TPAC) has selected an international architecture team to design its new performance home. Comprising BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group), William Rawn Associates, and Nashville-based EOA Architects, the global architecture team will reimagine the 50-year-old performing arts non-profit on a different site from its original 1974 plot, part of the State-owned James K. Polk Cultural Center.

MVRDV has revealed its design for the extensive renovation project of the Theater Koblenz, in Germany. The project includes an interior redesign and a significant backstage element makeover. The proposal, which operates within the confines of the existing structure, balances the many requirements of the brief: history preservation is taken into account alongside essential technical improvements and roof rehabilitation. Additionally, the operations building's façade on Clemensstraße will be renovated to give this backstage entrance a contemporary, expressive appearance that emphasizes its inclusion in the theater complex, clearly separating it from the building's original guest entrance. The repair preserved a significant portion of the structure for future use and used biodegradable materials as much as feasible to reduce carbon emissions.

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The Sámi National Theater Beaivváš and Sámi High School and Reindeer Husbandry School are two of the most important cultural institutions of Sápmi, a region in northern Norway, Sweden, and Finland traditionally inhabited by the Sámi people. To strengthen the position of the two institutions, a project was initiated in June 2021 to create a shared cultural and educational facility. A design proposal by 70°N arkitektur, in collaboration with Snøhetta and artist and architect Joar Nango, was chosen following a competition. The building, also known as Čoarvemátta, is currently under construction and is expected to be completed by 2024.

The Second Studio (formerly The Midnight Charette) is an explicit podcast about design, architecture, and the everyday. Hosted by Architects David Lee and Marina Bourderonnet, it features different creative professionals in unscripted conversations that allow for thoughtful takes and personal discussions.

A variety of subjects are covered with honesty and humor: some episodes are interviews, while others are tips for fellow designers, reviews of buildings and other projects, or casual explorations of everyday life and design. The Second Studio is also available on iTunes, Spotify, and YouTube.

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Diller Scofidio + Renfro, in collaboration with Dallas Theater Center, unveiled the design proposal for the Kalita Humphreys Theater master plan, centered around one of Frank Lloyd Wright’s lesser-known buildings. Over the years, neglect and additions have compromised the building’s integrity. The project aims to restore the mid-century theater to its original state by applying a multifaceted approach. According to the architects, this includes surgical extraction, selective reconstruction, preservation, and a faithful reinterpretation of Wright’s design intent. The master plan also aims to transform the surrounding public green space into an active and attractive park connected to Turtle Creek and Katy Trail, some of the most visited destinations in Dallas.

Catalonia's National Theatre, known by the abbreviation TNC, is a public theatre located in the Plaça de les Arts, near Plaça de Glòries, in Barcelona. It is one of the city's most prestigious buildings and one of the most important cultural institutions in Catalonia.

The Sydney Opera House has reopened its largest performance space, the Concert Hall. Since the venue closed for renovations in February 2020, the space has undergone extensive renovations to improve the acoustic performance, enhance access for people with mobility needs, and upgrade the staging systems. The renovation process respects the original interiors, while better equipping the hall to present a wide range of performances. This is the largest and final project in the Opera House’s Decade of Renewal, a 10-year program of renovation works totaling almost $300 million to upgrade the World Heritage-listed monument ahead of its 50th anniversary in 2023.

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Taipei Performing Arts Center designed by OMA has opened to the public. The project jointly led by Rem Koolhaas and David Gianotten is located at Taipei’s Shilin Night Market. The contemporary performance theatre generated debates among architects when it was first announced in 2009 due to its unusual shape. Morphed by a series of programmatic operations, the form intersects three types of theater in order to accommodate a variety of performances. Now this place for cultural creatives is open, allowing the public to explore new possibilities in performing arts and experience different aspects of the theater.

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Broadly speaking, the performing arts are all those disciplines that take place on a stage, although the main ones are dance, theatre and music. However, parades, religious processions, holiday celebrations and carnivals also have a clear scenic quality. That is why the stage space is so important not only for the presentations of these disciplines but also for carrying out a whole bodily and spatial process that is supported by the architecture.

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When designing an architectural space, it's necessary to think about how to satisfy the needs of each user, looking to achieve an adequate level of comfort and a pleasant experience. Auditoriums, cinemas, and theatres are spaces that involve large masses of people, so special attention must be paid to factors like isoptics, acoustics or accessibility so that when witnessing an event, everyone is able to receive the same information.

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The City Council of Perm, the planning commission, and members of the public gave their approval for a wHY-designed theater at the center of a major cultural revitalization initiative, led by the city’s mayor. The project will be a collaboration between wHY’s New York office and Buildings Workshop, and wHY’s Landscape Workshop, in order to generate a landmark for the emerging arts district.

Snøhetta was selected to design the latest landmark of Xingtai, one of China’s oldest cities that is undergoing rapid urban development. The Grand Theater, integrated into the master plan of the central and southern parts of the Hebei province, will become a new cultural monument.

Audience sightlines, accessibility and acoustics all make theater seating a hugely precise art. As part of their set of online resources for architects and designers, the team at Theatre Solutions Inc (TSI) have put together a catalog of 21 examples of theater seating layouts. Each layout is well detailed, with information on the number of seats, the floor seating area and row spacing. These layouts fall under three general forms; to supplement this information, alongside TSI's diagrams we've included the pros and cons of each type, as well as examples of projects which use each format. Read on for more.

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