Staging the Abandoned: Open-air Theater Revitalization of Kale Fortress, Skopje

Master thesis (2020)

Authors

H.H. Yeung Architecture and the Built Environment

Contributors

J.A. Mejia Hernandez Situated Architecture - Architecture and the Built Environment (supervisor 1)
K.M. Havik Situated Architecture - Architecture and the Built Environment (supervisor 2)
P.H.M. Jennen Design of Constrution - Architecture and the Built Environment (supervisor 2)
Faculty
Architecture and the Built Environment
Copyright: © 2020 Hilary Yeung
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Published Date

2020

Language

English

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Faculty

Architecture and the Built Environment

Abstract

The project site situates at Kale Fortress, a historic archaeological site at the highest point overlooking the city of Skopje. Despite its rich cultural value and prestige location, the site has been abandoned for years since the inter-ethnic conflict between the Macedonians and Albanians in 2011 over the construction on a church-shaped museum. Together with the other three abandoned structures in the Fortress area, I regard them as ‘emotional scars’ neglected by the people. This graduation project seeks to revitalize the Kale Fortress area by converting the abandoned structures into Open-air theatres. By identifying the four abandoned structures as an Anchor and centre of activities, the design aims to reactivate the fortress area by giving a ‘second-life’ to the ‘Modern Heritage’ and acknowledge them as part of the context/ history. Theatre is chosen to be the medium for its nature of expressing and interacting. It also provides a space for reimagination and empathy during performances. It is hoped to give a new perception and memory association of the place being open, generous instead of a taboo to the users. With the main design focus on the Church Museum, the developed design strategy is to be further applied to the rest of the three structures so that the fortress area could be perceived as a whole and accomplish the design intent in a broader context.