THEATRE POPULAIRE

FAST VUT - Faculty of Civil Engineering, Brno University of Technology, Department of Architecture

Project idea

Due to strong impact of the traditions and beliefs of local ethnic groups, which often use geometric shapes such as squares and triangles in their symbolism, the whole idea of this architectural substance was conceived in this direction. This mass sits like openwork raw stones in the hot sandy soil and guides the visitor further and further with its shapes deeper in whole area. As so, triangular roof fields appear, overgrown with succulents and grasses, set on a brick pedestal, which is rough and uncompromising on the outside. It has to co-communicate with the surrounding arid landscape, which is just as inhospitable. Therefore, were windows replaced by a relief of brick depressions and protrusions, merging into one embossed belt.
The central part of the area is then determined for inhalation, scattering, and spreading of imaginary wings. One can visit a small site-specific theater, which is embedded in the hot sand. Or, on the other hand, one can hide in the shade of an orchard, which is intentionally shaped into pleasant nooks and complemented by simple wooden stalls, shaded with fabric. At this market, it is possible to wander thoughtlessly and travel slowly towards to the amphitheater or buy a souvenir in memory and support of local artists.

Project description

The topic of the study is the revitalization and completion of an unused amphitheater in the La Termitiere complex in the center of the capital of Burkina Faso, Ouagadougou. The current condition of the amphitheater did not allow the dance and drama school to use these spaces properly, so the concrete crumb was renovated and expanded with other ancillary facilities, including backstage, workshops, but also the public sphere of two pavilions in the southern part of the area. The architecture consists of brick pavilions with vegetated roofs. Due to the frequent sandy winds as well as hot rays, a wooden shading structure with cotton fabrics and a number of rotating panels were created to close or open the space and the corridor.
The SHOW pavilion is intended to serve as a pleasant reference point for sitting in a café or getting to know the dance school through an exhibition in the gallery. The second pavilion LABO serves exclusively to the members of the school as an educational center and a space for the development of artistic activities with a full background. The land is located next to a water channel, capturing water in case of torrential rains. Thanks to this factor, the plot is very well covered with plants and trees, which brings the desired shade. With the already existing trees, we worked with the utmost caution. For example, one of the mature trees was protected from demolition and now grows through the interior of the café. The existing entrance to the south was connected to the main entrance and a line leading the visitor to the dominant of the amphitheater. All pavilions are responding to their purpose, and especially to the movement of visitors around the area, when at the beginning of their journey they meet others, in the middle of the road they can scatter into the countryside, then meet again in their place for a performance in a large amphitheater.

SHOW - The public pavilion, open to the public, works with three modular gallery rooms, workshop room and theater room, which are interconnected and can be adapted to the needs of visitors or performers. These rooms are connected to a pleasant cafe in the style of "jungle" thanks to a growing tree. Of course, there are barrier-free toilets and facilities for cafe employees, which consists of a dayroom, changing room, grocery storage and cleaning room.

LABO - It was necessary to integrate four important classrooms for the operation and education of pupils, as well as their parents or acquaintances, into the educational center. This created a series of 150 m2 of classrooms for theater, circus, dance and music, together with a media room in the corner of the pavilion for joint screenings, readings and plays. The technical background for the development of the media side of the institution was also designed for these educational cells, namely spaces for video editing, a photo studio and a recording studio. For better orientation a reception with information and the necessary materials was created right at the corner of the entrance so that visitors could orient themselves better in the entire complex. This pavilion also has hygienic facilities in the form of toilets, small changing rooms and showers for both sexes, and at the same time the connecting corridor brings the opportunity to go out into the shade of trees in the fresh air.

WORK - Thanks to the expansion of the stage to the size of 15x20 metres, the capacity of the performance was also expanded, so it was necessary to solve the appropriate facilities for actors, which now includes its own meeting room, associated kitchen and its own sanitary facilities. Employees and staff were given their own separate pavilion with a fully equipped living room, changing rooms and twin workshops for repairing and producing scenery and sewing costumes. The stage itself is then directly connected to the warehouse of scenery and technology. It is roofed with a simple steel structure with a perimeter cladding made of corten. The mass of the theater is to enclose the entire polygon of the amphitheater. Due to the extension of the dimensions of the stage, the height of the portal and the rope yard also had to respond to this. Therefore, there is a massive mass, lightened by the material design. The façade of the roof is complemented by a relief crown made of corten, which is repeated from the inside of the pavilion corridor. A similar shielding element with cotton fabrics then appears to strengthen the shielding.

Technical information

The vertical load-bearing structures will be made of two steel U-profiles. The walls are then double-skinned, consisting of a brick facade, a ventilated gap and thermal insulation. The whole structure is mounted on the foundation grate and foundation plate. The horizontal load-bearing structures consist of I beams, supporting triangular vegetation roofs, which help to cool the interior spaces and thanks to which the whole mass also fits better into the landscape. The ceiling will be visible with bamboo elements. The supporting structure of the stage roof is made of steel, similarly to the previous pavilions. Its facade consists of corten and relief elements. From the material point of view, mainly brick walls and brick elements are used in combination with wood and local cotton fabrics, which are very well known in Burkina Faso. The floor layers are mainly made of concrete trowel or steamed clay.

Co-authors

Under the leadership of Ing. arch. Viktor Svojanovský