THEATRE OF LIFE

USEK - Holy spirit University of Kaslik

Project idea

We were asked to develop a project on the theater and the CDC in this space. After the elaborated
analysis we discovered the importance of this theater, considered as a Temple for residents of Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso. Pointing out most importantly to it being located in a green space limited to the center of a woven peri-urban environment.
The central element of the project design is the Baobab tree, symbolic for the natives of country. It is assigned multiple qualifiers: "the magic tree", "the pharmacist tree", "the tree of life ", and" the tree upside down ". From these qualifiers, we took two: for this the design rested on an architecture "upside down" by giving a value to the theater by valuing and making it a space of "life".
Thus, the Temple and its tree highlighted, will remain the only perceived elements of the city, respecting the memory of this place.

Project description

Our vision of designing the project started from respecting the existing green space and preserving the Temple built. The line of force is taken from the center of the Temple creating a radial effect going from the scene outside and by designing the functions in the basement but, revolving around the theater. These lines of forces are translated by guiding walls flush with the ground but drilled deep in the basement. These walls will serve as a cutout for the basement spaces, similarly they will serve as exhibition space in a gallery. These walls likewise, have a directional function which directs the view of the person towards the central element, which is the Temple. Functions are divided into two main categories: public functions located between “le CDC-la termitière” and the Temple making these two spaces communicate between them (media library, conviviality, co-working space, 4 educational rooms, archives, 3 studios). Functions relating to the backstage (artists' room, meeting room, sewing room, technical room, etc.). The creation of functions led to the creation of a gallery between the Temple and the function spaces mentioned above, which highlights the Temple as a central element of the project.

Technical information

The cover of the scene is faithful to the major element of Ouagadougou: The Baobab tree as an element deduced from the nature of the country: this cover takes the form of a tree. The structure is metallic (the trunk and branches) and the leaves are made up of jail boards (used as roofs for houses in the Ouagadougou grid areas).

Documentation

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