Theatre Building Research Articles

Frljić, The Curse and Poland: Notes on militia

The Curse by Oliver Frljić, staged at the Powszechny Theatre in Warsaw in 2017, was the crowning point of political theatre. it is not only a formally excellent performance, but also an event that led to social turmoil. As a result, however, it also revealed the ambivalence of political theatre: in order for the performance to be staged, the presence of the police among the audience and in front of the theatre building was necessary. This alliance between the performance and the police exposes the limits of political theatre. Is there a logic that allows further experimentation with the political impact of the performing arts without the involvement of the police? Yes, the logic of the militia.

From Wagner to Wagner: reminiscences of the Bayreuth Festspielhaus in the reconstruction of the Carlo Felice Opera House in Genoa

Around the middle of the nineteenth century, in the context of an extensive project to reform opera, German composer Richard Wagner began to envision a new kind of theater building that finally saw the light in 1876 in Bayreuth as the Festspielhaus. In the following century, Italian architect Aldo Rossi evoked its characteristic features in his reconstruction project of the Carlo Felice Opera House in Genoa, a building that had been partially destroyed during World War II and was reopened to the public in 1991. At the same time, he restored the relationship between architecture and the city that Wagnerian precepts had more or less consciously eliminated. By revisiting the time that separates the two buildings, and specifically the changes that the most important playhouses underwent, this essay attempts to capture the distinctive elements of the Wagnerian playhouse in order to evaluate what remains of them, what was omitted, and what was subtracted from later buildings that either exist only as projects or that were in fact actualized.

Ceremony and Popular Culture. Festivities and Objects Connected with the National Theatre and other Czech Public Buildings before 1918

The present article focuses on the festivities held between the 1860s and 1914 in the Lands of the Bohemian Crown, which were associated with various construction phases of buildings important for the Czech speaking society (especially the laying of the foundation stone and the opening ceremony). These festivities lie somewhere between the artificially constructed concepts of "high" and "low", "the elite" and "the people", and between "folk" and "mass" culture. The study aims to show that without the people, without an audience, these festivities would not be celebrations but just elite parties. Therefore, the nature of these festivals was primarily popular, as evidenced by many details, including their character, the accompanying theatre plays and souvenir items. The festivities and the whole idea of the National Theatre in Prague are examined in the first part of the article, which is followed by examples from other parts of the Czech lands and finally, medals, postcards and promotional brochures are discussed.

Wdrażanie założeń zrównoważonego rozwoju w praktyce działań polskich teatrów

Implementation of the Principles of Sustainable Development in the Practice of Polish Theaters The aim of the paper is to present how Polish theatres implement the principles of sustainable development in practice in their day-to-day operations. The background for the considerations involves the evolution of the approach to sustainable development observed from the perspective of international documents discussing this concept. The author’s own empirical research consisted of the preliminary survey of the information available on the websites and social media of selected Polish theatres and the questionnaire sent to the theatres in the first half of 2021. The research has made it possible to distinguish four main types of activities undertaken in this respect by the theatres: 1) the content of performances and other artistic endeavours; 2) the day-to-day functioning of the institution; 3) the theatre building and its surroundings, and 4) co-creation and participation in broader initiatives for sustainable development. The questionnaire results indicate that the dynamics of activities in this domain has nothing to do with the size of the urban area in which a given theatre operates, but it is more associated with the fact that the theatres align themselves with the environmental policy of their local governments, and with the possibility of obtaining funds for such initiatives. Furthermore, and perhaps above all, it depends on the theatre’s strategy determining how it operates in the local milieu. Building upgrades involve savings and help theatres build an image of an environmentally-friendly organisation.

Theater, Space and Place Making in North-East Bangladesh

Although Theater activities inject a significant effect on outdoor public affairs, local urban planners do not sufficiently consider such impact while designing a new civic theater in Habiganj, a growing sub-urban district of Bangladesh. Incoherent theater buildings in such urban areas fail to engage people with theater at large, in consequence, the act of theater remains incomplete. The research was conducted through a semi structured interview, social demographic data analysis, case studies, technical aspects and literature survey providing the anthropomorphic image of a theater as an embodied space, elementary spaces of theater and affordable & inclusive theatrical form as major findings. A regional model is driven from the research for local theater (different types of performing spaces) practice that can guide future municipal theater planning for theater to sustain among society & people.

Svět prken, která znamenají svět. O projektu Divadelního oddělení Národního muzea – Dokumentace současných divadelních budov

This paper presents an extensive research project carried out by the Theatre Department at the National Museum. This document, the Catalogue of Contemporary Theatre Buildings, maps out in detail the sites where theatre is performed in the Czech Republic today. It focuses not only on professional venues, but also registers other, often unconventional, places where theatre thrives, such as churches, public spaces, cultural centres, private apartments, gymnasia, cinemas, shopping centres, etc. In the first section, the outline of the project is presented, starting from the initial idea through to the people involved and technical support for its implementation, to a description of how the obtained material was processed into a comprehensive and clear archival collection. In the second part, the study focuses on some valuable findings on contemporary theatre in the Czech Republic, obtained by the author during the cataloguing process. Using photographs, textual materials, video footage and interviews with employees of the documented institutions, the project aims to find answers to general questions of a social nature: How does neatness or untidiness indicate a citizen‘s relationship to the place in which they live? How do people understand the terms ‘community centre’ and ‘public service’?

Teatr dla wszystkich? Spór o rolę Teatru Miejskiego na tle dyskusji społeczno-politycznych w Kaliszu lat trzydziestych XX wieku – zarysowanie problematyki

Theatre for All? A Clash Over the Role of Municipal Theatre in Kalisz Framed Within the Socio-Political Discussions of the 1930s. A Reconnaissance In this short essay – proposing an outline of the research in progress – Author offers several questions regarding the interwar reconstruction and functions of the municipal theatre building in Kalisz. What kind of socio-political message was conducted in the Neoclassical architecture of this ediffice, designed by Czesław Przybylski in 1919 and then in the 1930s refurbished and redesigned (interiors) by Juliusz Żórawski in modernist and streamline design? What kind of educated subject, a new Pole, was the subject for theatre perceived as a medium of education and political tool in this middle-seized interwar Polish town? Who attended the auditorium and who was expected to attend and why? Author explores preliminary press and archival sources, focusing on the (mostly unexplored by historians of Kalisz) discourse of nationalism and even chauvinism that fueled several aspects of the debate around the municipal theatre and its roles in Kalisz.

The significance of the Congress of Union and Reorganization held on November 9-10, 1935, in Arad

"Abstract: The Baptist cult had organized the following congresses: Pre-Congress of 1919 (Buteni), Congress of 1920 (Buteni), 1922 (Oradea), 1928 (Curtici), 1931 (Talpoş), 1932 (Timişoara), 1935 (Arad). Between 1932 and 1934, so-called fractional congresses were organized. The congress of 1935 in Arad is labeled as the congress of union and reorganization because in 1932 the Union of Christian Baptist Churches in Romania split. In this study I will analyze both the reunion process or reunion attempts, the motivation of the reunion and the description of the reunion congress. Attempts and initiatives to reunite the two Baptist unions have been identified both within the country, by the Romanian Baptist diaspora and by the World Alliance of Baptists. The motives for the reunion were related to the rights of the Baptists, their desire for peace, and their spiritual duty to spread the gospel. The strong characters of the two unions could not be overcame except by the sufferings of the persecuted Baptists, such as raising awareness of the death of one of the most meek, industrious, and wise, and humble people of the Baptists of that time — Theodor Sida. In Arad, the Baptists organized events in sumptuous buildings since 1929 - the ordination of Lucaşa Sezonov to the Red Church, 1930 - Southeast European Baptist Congress in the Arad Theater building, 1935 - Congress of the reunion of Baptists at the White Cross Hotel and 1945 - Congress Romanian Baptist Union at the Cultural Palace in Arad."

Театр та амфітеатр як структурні елементи історичних парків, садів, садово-паркових ансамблів XVII–XX століття

Theater as a place for spectacles is a form of social consciousness, a means of ideological and aesthetic education of the population. Theater reflects the peculiarities of the development of society and is related to its culture. The desire in different periods to harmoniously combine nature and culture, green theaters, and other green scenes has always reflected the tastes and fashions of a certain era. The history of the development of garden theaters in the European countries, including Ukraine, is considered. The types of theaters on the territory of historical gardens, parks, estates, palace and park complexes, and garden and park ensembles of Europe and North America of the XVII-XX centuries are studied. The history and evolution of the development of the main types of theater buildings are characterized and their differences are given. The preconditions for the emergence and popularization of open-air theaters have been clarified. The terms - garden, green, air, summer theaters - are analyzed and generalized. Based on the research, the classification and definition of a garden theater (amphitheater) are proposed. Garden theaters are types and varieties of theaters (forest, landscape, green, air, water, summer, stone, mechanical, palace) and amphitheaters (stone, lawn), located on the territory of gardens, parks, garden and park ensembles. They can be open-air (temporary), closed (permanent), combined (cooperation of temporary and permanent theaters). On the territory of gardens, parks, garden and park ensembles, several types or varieties of theaters or a theater and an amphitheater can be located, the amphitheater can be part of a theater. A comparative analysis of green, water theaters and other theaters is given. The characteristic features of the location of theaters in the planning structure of the studied objects, including elements of topiary art and an assortment of plants for green, water, air, and summer theaters, are revealed.

Enhancing the sustainability and energy conservation in heritage buildings: The case of Nottingham Playhouse

Today, there is a growing interest in developing energy efficient buildings since it is estimated that buildings account for about 40% of the total primary energy consumption in the world. In relation to existing buildings, energy efficiency retrofits have become an important opportunity to upgrade the energy performance of commercial, public and residential buildings that may reduce the energy consumption, demand and cost. In this paper we cover the energy efficiency deep retrofit process that has been carried out for Nottingham Playhouse theatre building for the aim of enhancing its environmental performance and analysing the energy efficiency gained after implementing certain proposed modifications. It is a nationally protected historic building, listed as Grade II∗ on The National Heritage List for England (NHLE). The building has had insulation enhancement, doors modifications, solar energy installations, energy-saving lights, in addition to improved heating and air conditioning system. The paper presents a novel methodology; and its results indicate significant improvements in the building's energy performance which is demonstrated using infrared thermographic images and data logger sensors where significant energy savings to the building's thermal performance are obtained. The energy saving measures have been completed while maintaining the heritage building's general appearance and architectural features, which have received a Commendation Certificate from The Nottingham Civic Society for this achievement.

THE PROBLEM OF STUDYING OF THE CHURCH ARCHITECTURE AND URBAN PLANNING ART OF ARTSAKH OF THE SECOND HALF OF THE 19TH CENTURY AND THE BEGINNING OF THE 20TH CENTURY ON THE PAGES OF THE EASTERN ARMENIAN PERIODICAL PRESS

Our scientific research is dedicated to the study of the church architecture and urban art of Artsakh of the second half of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century which is based on valuable materials published in the pages of the periodical press of Eastern Armenian. The article shows with undeniable facts that along with other branches of the Armenian culture the architecture and urban planning art developed in Artsakh during the period. Many magnificent architectural monuments, public buildings, printing houses, schools and other cultural centers were built. Previously built architectural monuments continued their activities in that period as well, some of which were renovated in the second half of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. 
 Among the historical and cultural values Dadivank (Khota Monastery or Charektar Monastery), the monastery of Amaras, the monastery of Gandzasar, the monastery of St. Hakoba, St. George Monastery (in the Khachen province), St. Yeghishe Monastery (in the Javanshir province), St. Ghondeants Monastery (Ghondik - desert, built in Varanda, near the village of Avetaranots), Gtich or Gtchavanq (in the Dizak province, near the village of Togh), Spitak Khach Monastery (in Dizak), Yerits Mankants Monastery, Inn Masants Monastery are known. And among the Armenian cultural centers are the Diocesan School of Shushi, the Realakan College, the Hripsimyan and Girls' Schools of Shushi, the Khandamiryan Theater Building, the Printing Houses of Metropolitan Baghdasar, Mirzajan Mahtesi Hakobyants, Bagrat Ter Sahakyan, Melkon Babajanyan, etc..

The Electric Pleasure District: The West End of London in the Age of Empire, 1880–1914*

This study examines the cultural work of the West End of London in the long Edwardian period (1880–1914). It argues that the pleasure district was changed in a number of ways in which electricity was one thread. The coming of electricity affected the character of the area, not only transforming theatre lighting but also introducing new forms of street advertising, notably on Piccadilly Circus. The West End was physically changed by the construction of Shaftesbury Avenue and Charing Cross, which then became sites of a wave of theatre building (all of which showed off their modernity by adopting electricity). These theatres, especially the Palace Theatre of Varieties, are examined in terms of the entertainments they offered but also the ways in which they produced forms of cultural capital for spectators. Finally, the study considers another electric medium, the cinema. The West End became known for upscale cinemas that emulated the theatres nearby and sought to make film-going attractive to wealthier customers who, a few years earlier, disdained it. By 1914, the West End had, to a large extent, taken on its modern form.

Ancient theater architecture as an element of the world cultural landscape

The article examines the history of the development of ancient theatre architecture in the context of the environment, which forms a territory that acquires the status of a cultural landscape. The material of antiquity is interpreted in the aspect of the evolution of the formation of theatrical buildings, ranging from ancient Greek to ancient Roman, which, despite the ruins, amaze with their large-scale and untouched architecture. An attempt was made to systematize valuable evidence of the past in the environment: material (theatre architecture) and intangible (theatre art), since the theatre lives only when it is performed and theatrical architecture remains for posterity. Their relationship in space and time was considered. The research methods (descriptions of the studied phenomena, the method of field observation, the method of problem-historical analysis) made it possible to focus on the specifics of the arrangement of theatre buildings located in open spaces, representing cultural landscapes – vast territories of co-creation of human and nature. Throughout the eras, the architecture of a theatre, intended for spectacular performances, associated with the environmental factor and acting has undergone a transformation, just as the theatrical art itself has changed, sometimes within the same performance, on the same stage. Fragments of the lost cultural experience today are open systems in the associative, semantic, historical aspects, as well as in terms of the reconstruction of objects. They form an attractive and popular place that goes beyond city-planning conditions, being a significant public space. The composition of the construction of theatres and the principles of shaping that took shape in the antique period had a great influence on their subsequent development and remained in modern design solutions. In this context, this experience of interpreting architectural monuments related to theatrical art is of great cultural and educational significance, not only in the sense of reconstructing a lost layer of cultural heritage but, to a greater extent, in the form of modelling a new vision of the architectural culture of the new world that is being formed today.

Shaping of Cities’ Identities with Cultural Uniqueness: Handcraft Shops and Night Bazaar in Chiang Mai, Thailand, and Hanoi Old Quarter in Vietnam

A city usually has its own identity and cultural uniqueness with the markers of identity perhaps varying among museums, monuments, temples, theatre buildings, handcraft and traditional shops/markets and night bazaars and historical heritage sites, to mention a few. It is very common for cities in mainland Southeast Asia, like Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phnom Penh, Luang Prabang and Hanoi to have handcraft markets/shops as well as night bazaars selling various handcrafts attributed to one ethnic group or another. Those handcraft shops/markets and night bazaars are often at least partly related to the promotion of tourism. However, they do not only exist for the sake of tourism, since the promotion of cultural uniqueness as the identity of a city is related to the feeling of pride and the very soul of the city. This paper will discuss the existing handcraft markets/shops and night bazaar in Chiang Mai (Thailand) as important elements of the city’ s icons and the Hanoi Old Quarter, a historical heritage area in Hanoi, where handcraft shops, night market, cafés and many more venues are integral to the identity of Hanoi. The fieldwork was conducted in Chiang Mai in 2004, 2005, 2009 and 2016 for a few days and in Hanoi in 2006, 2017, 2018 for a few days, especially using qualitative research. The discussion is divided into three parts: the First, giving a brief review of the identity of a city; the Second, touching on the issue of how the handcraft shops and the Night Bazaar in Chiang Mai are seen as the city icons; and Finally, the shaping of the Hanoi Old Quarter as Hanoi’s cultural icon/identity.

THE ROLE OF FREDERICK KIZLER'S CREATIVE ACHIEVEMENT IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF NATIONAL ARCHITECTURE OF LANDSCAPE THEATERS

The article is devoted to the study on the influence of the work of the outstanding architect-scenographer of Ukrainian origin Frederic Kizler on the formation of authentic features in the architecture of landscape theatres in Ukraine and the establishment of characteristic features present in modern national cultural and entertainment institutions. The author explores how the creative work in scenography and design of theatrical objects by F.Kizler forms the main trends in the development of the concept of the idea of correalism as the main philosophy of architecture in the future. The role of charisma and functionality in the scenography of Frederick Kizler on the solution of the architectural environment as a symbiosis of sound, light and colour of the theatre building on the perception of the average spectator is analyzed. The publication reveals the novelty of the ideas of the architect-designer F.Kizler for all theatrical architecture and the creation of futuristic buildings that connected the past and the present as a bridge created the architecture of the future with their buildings. The author pays special attention to the influence of F.Kizler's work on the formation of modern architecture of landscape theatres and the main trends in the development of cultural and entertainment institutions of this type in the XXI century in Ukraine and the world. The presented publication solves the problems associated with the formation of the basic principles of the typology of landscape theatres using the innovative ideas of the futurist architect Frederic Kizler.

Shanghai

From the opening of treaty ports in 1843, the modern history of performing arts in Shanghai traces more than 170 years of development. This history not only summarizes the modern development of Chinese performing arts; it is also representative of the historical development of Chinese urban space and city culture. Theatre arts, culture, and urban development intertwine, as they are refracted through the rise and fall of theatre buildings, yielding a fascinating legacy of cosmopolitan Shanghai.

Research on Climate Adaptation Design Strategy Driven by Spatial Performance from the Perspective of Land-Based Rationalism: Taking the Academic Complex Project in Central School of Communist Youth League of China as an Example

With the rapid urban development, the construction of public buildings in China has been greatly promoted, and the problem of large energy consumption of public buildings has also become increasingly prominent, with a stronger demand for close combination of public buildings and passive design. Based on the characteristics of theater space, this paper mainly studies the passive design method of large space, excellently integrates climate adaptability design technology with passive building design strategy, and explores the optimal passive design scheme for theater buildings, by taking the academic complex project in Central School of Communist Youth League of China as an example, with passive priority and active optimization for the principle from the aspects of climate adaptation and indoor environment comfort.

Sacrosanctity or Duty? The Reception of Beethoven’s Fidelio in the Context of the Cultural-Political Situation in the Second Half of the Nineteenth Century in Pressburg

Staging Beethoven’s Fidelio in the second half of the nineteenth century in Pressburg drew on a long- standing Beethoven tradition prevalent in the town. Also, it stood at the center of protests against the growing influence of Hungarian theater in the newly constructed theater building since Fidelio was performed always at a time when the renewal of an agreement with a German-speaking director was being decided on (1889, 1892, 1895). The opera was staged with the participation of the choral societies and musical associations of the town. Its performances were held close to the annual festive masses of the most well-known association of Pressburg, the Church Music Association of St. Martin’s Cathedral (Germ. Kirchenmusikverein bei der Dom-, Kollegiats- und Stadtpfarrkirche zu St. Martin, Hung. Szent Márton Pozsonyi Egyházi Zeneegylet), where Beethoven’s Missa solemnis was performed. This enhanced the efforts of the supporters of the German theater to call Beethoven’s œuvre a carrier of “true art” and humanism and use it as a symbol of cultural identity in the discussions led about preserving the German season in the Municipal Theater (Germ. Stadttheater, Hung. Városi Színház).

Vitruvius De Architectura V

Abstract In Book 5 of De architectura, the main subjects of Vitruvius are the Roman and Greek theatre and their acoustic qualities, explained with the help of several Greek theories. Vitruvius tries to enhance them by introducing a system of assisted resonance. Following the Harmonics of Aristoxenus, he recommends equipping theatre buildings with ἠχεῖα of bronze or earthenware, with the aim of increasing the strength of the voices of actors. Archaeological evidence for such equipment is nonexistent. But in Eastern and Western churches, vessels under the floor and in the walls were found. The Western examples begin in Carolingian times, when De architectura became known again. Thus, there is a debate about whether or not the work of Vitruvius had an influence on Carolingian architecture. The ἠχεῖα of Vitruvius and the resounding vessels in churches work as Helmholtz-Resonators, the sound-absorbing effects of which were used in churches with high internal resonance, while their sound-reinforcing effects were the aim of the ἠχεῖα in theatres.

PERANCANGAN GEDUNG BIOSKOP DI KOTA SINTANG

One of the districts with the largest population, densest population activities, and supporting economy is Sintang District, West Kalimantan Province with a population of 413,369 people in 2018. The increase in the population of Sintang Regency every year results in a high level of work activity and affects the desire to go to entertainment, recreation and tourism places. Many places can be visited in Sintang Regency, one of which is the Bukit Kelam tour. In today's technological era, the cinema building is one of the solutions for entertainment venues, where the audience can devote all their attentions and feelings to the living picture being witnessed. Therefore, the design of the Cinema Building located in Sintang Regency is a solution to provide a forum for the community to enjoy film shows and provide a modern building concept that is inseparable from the cultural elements in Sintang Regency. The concept of layout outside and inside the building is needed as an attraction to the Cinema Building. The theater building has the appeal of a dynamic building with a rectangular shape that follows the concept of a projector with the use of wood colors to make it look more elegant. In the building, the designer added Dayak and Malay ornaments which were elements of the Cinema Building Design concept so that it was not separated from cultural elements.