Theatrics
Where theatre begins before the performance
D. Scholten (TU Delft - Architecture and the Built Environment)
S. Pietsch – Mentor (TU Delft - Architecture and the Built Environment)
S. De Vocht – Mentor (TU Delft - Architecture and the Built Environment)
More Info
expand_more
Other than for strictly personal use, it is not permitted to download, forward or distribute the text or part of it, without the consent of the author(s) and/or copyright holder(s), unless the work is under an open content license such as Creative Commons.
Abstract
The project investigates how a new theatre for Theater De Veste in Delft can become more than a place for performances alone. The brief asks for a contemporary commercial theatre, with a larger main hall, a secondary venue, and the supporting spaces required. These conditions position the performance halls as controlled machines: spaces defined by technical standards, logistics, comfort, and efficiency.
Rather than rejecting this condition, the project accepts the halls as machine-like volumes and shifts the architectural focus to the spaces surrounding them. The project asks how the theatre can become part of everyday urban life through public interiors, flexible shared spaces, theatrical thresholds, backstage working environments, and a renewed relationship to the city.
The design is situated on the HEMA site in the southern part of Delft’s historic centre. By reusing existing structures, creating a new urban square, framing views, and staging different routes for visitors, staff, and performers, the project expands the idea of theatre beyond the hall. Theatre is understood not only as performance, but as a collective experience that begins in the city and continues through the spaces around the stage.