Stadthof 11

Theater

This project is a renovation and addition to an avant-garde theater in the periphery of Zürich. The design strategy is to establish a dialog between old and new in the sense of a collage or palimpsest in which some parts are removed while others are added. A game ensues in which discrete parts are juxtaposed, creating a surreal atmosphere: escalators next to ornamental motifs on old columns made of concrete, aged materials next to new construction, new and old windows overlapping, and mechanical systems exposed and juxtaposed to modernist mural-paintings.
The existing auditorium and stage were kept, around which a new spatial layer was added incorporating all the new required functions for a contemporary theater , such as foyers on several levels, restaurants, bars, coat-rooms, restrooms, and a series of new fire escapes.
The circulation systems, conceived as an architectural promenade, tie the programmatic elements together and offer views at selected locations to the city.
The new construction is rough and kept in the spirit of a “loft” theater. Construction cost was to be kept at a minimum.

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