British studio Haworth Tompkins and Swedish agency White Arkitekter have given the Nineteenth-century Hippodromen theatre in Sweden a up to date replace that pulls consideration to its authentic circus design.
The Malmö theatre, recognized regionally as Hipp, was designed by Theodor Wåhlin in 1898 and had undergone a number of conversions since its authentic use as a circus.
A 2008 redesign that added a proscenium arch to the auditorium hid a lot of its authentic options and the area felt lower off from its environment.
“The theatre had no avenue presence and was subsequently disconnected from the lifetime of town,” Haworth Tompkins affiliate Martin Lydon instructed Dezeen.
“The lobby areas felt chilly and sterile with horrible lighting,” he added.
“The auditorium suffered from poor acoustics and the end-on seating and stage geometry jarred with the historic geometry of the unique circus amphitheatre and restricted the inventive repertoire.”
Haworth Tompkins was the design lead on the refurbishment, with White Arkitekter because the technical lead.
The studios opened up the 9,995-square-metre constructing by turning one in every of its street-facing areas, which had been used as a wig store, into a restaurant with avenue entry.
Additionally dealing with the road is the previous field workplace, which has been reworked right into a studio area for use for workshops and seminars.
“The breakthrough got here after we realised that we might repurpose an current store unit and the outdated secure yard passageway to turn into a brand new public route into the theatre,” Lydon mentioned.
This passageway between the street-facing elements of the theatre – the cafe and studio area – has been became a courtyard pavilion linking them with the theatre lobby.
That is constructed from a red-painted metal field body, which has been clad with sawn-timber roof beams organized in a fan formation in a nod to the geometry of the unique constructing’s brick facade.
“The courtyard constructing opens the unique circus secure yard to the theatre public for the primary time, revealing the ‘circus stall’ entrance archway by to the principle auditorium constructing,” Lydon defined.
“It feels city nonetheless, a midway level between town and the auditorium, a semi-external room,” he added. “It additionally types different connections, for instance, new routes as much as the workers places of work.”
Hippodromen’s courtyard pavilion could be opened as much as a bigger courtyard in the summertime, and the studios hope the area will likely be used to carry a wide range of occasions.
“We hope it turns into the city sq. of the theatre – an off-the-cuff area that’s a part of the route from avenue to stage, for passers-by to discover and for audiences to mingle,” Lydon mentioned.
The courtyard pavilion results in the lobby and into the theatre’s auditorium, which has been redesigned inside its retained historic shell.
To enhance accessibility and create a extra intimate expertise, the studios created a seating plan designed in a horseshoe form that references the unique design.
“The redesigned auditorium references the unique ‘in-the-round’ dodecagon geometry of the unique circus amphitheatre, with the viewers enveloping the stage in a horseshoe form,” Lydon mentioned.
“The stage is now positioned centrally beneath the cupola,” he added.
“We’ve eliminated ugly acoustic therapy that blocked views of the improbable umbrella-vaulted timber gridshell roof construction in order that this turns into an actual presence once more within the room,” Lydon mentioned.
“Our mission breathes new potential into Malmö Hippodromen and equips the constructing for one more century of life.”
The renovation elevated Hippodromen’s seating capability from 400 to 520 seats. Based on the studios, pure and recycled supplies together with acoustic panels from reclaimed cloth from the clothes business are used wherever doable.
“Just about all of the historic constructed cloth and structural foundations have been reused with no important demolition apart from to make new door and repair openings,” Lydon mentioned.
“This maximises the profit derived from the embodied carbon of their authentic development.”
Earlier initiatives by Haworth Tompkins embrace a chainmail-clad pavilion that types the doorway of London’s Punchdrunk theatre and the restoration of the historic Theatre Royal Drury Lane.
White Arkitekter not too long ago unveiled a timber skyscraper in Sweden and is designing the UK’s “most sustainable hospital”.
The pictures is by Åke E:son Lindman except in any other case acknowledged.
Mission credit:
Mission supervisor: Malmö Stadsfastigheter (Peter Hingström)
Architect (design lead): Haworth Tompkins
Haworth Tompkins design crew: Toby Johnson, Martin Lydon, Andreea Pirvan, Pierre Shaw, Harry Tate, Steve Tompkins, Roger Watts, Gabrielle Wellon
Architect (technical lead): White Arkitekter
White design crew: Per-Anders Andersson, Ulrika Essner, Ylva Melin Furst, Felix Hanson, Karin Höök, David Johansson, Karin Lantz, Nina Minjevic, Mirja Wande
Contractor: Staff Skåne
Theatre marketing consultant: AIX Arkitekter AB
Structural engineer: Structor
Companies engineer: Sweco
Acoustic engineer: Norconsult
Fireplace engineer: FSD
Catering marketing consultant: Köksprojekt Öresund
Heritage marketing consultant: Anders Reisnert
Graphic designer: Pressing
Signage and wayfinding design: Pressing and Haworth Tompkins
Furnishings and furnishings: Mai Jørgensen and Malene Holst
