
PUBLIC THEATER
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PUBLIC THEATER *
When we go to a theater or a gallery, we are going to see but also be seen. The show begins well before the doors open. The procession of the audience as they snake their way through the spaces leading to the theater is, in itself, a performance. A coordinated act by hundreds of strangers which is rarely given space to be appreciated.
a performance by and for the public
Our goal was to take this grand rectilinear lobby and atrium and transform it through the movement of the people attending a show. Through the addition of a deceivingly simple circular stair to connect all the upper levels leading to the performance level, we transformed this white box into a living, breathing organism. Arriving at the top level, there was a large multi story space for sculptures to be installed. Despite the space being built for the display of art, the scale of the space could disengage the audience from the art they came to appreciate. To recenter their focus on the ground plane, we proposed an intervention to reground the audience. By flooding the floor with a thin layer of water and placing the sculptures within the pool, attendees’ attention will be directed down and allow them to become more connected to the art instead of simply occupying space with it.
Despite the requirement for a landing, this stair appears continuous. Like a stream pulling the crowd through the building.
Sculptures by Jaume Plensa