THÉÂTRE POPULAIRE IDEA(L), Burkina Faso

Faculty of Architecture and Design STU in Bratislava

Project idea

The Idea of the Design
The biggest inspiration for my design was the surrounding environment.
Very important determinants which affected the design were the changing seasons of intensive Sun and rain.
I created two main objects from this idea - umbrella/sunshade, under which all the functions come to life. This thinking can be shown on a quote of Titing Frédéric Passere: ‘When the anthill lives, it’s because the earth connects with the earth.’
Those ‘umbrellas’ also dealt with the question of the composition of relationships between the existing buildings.
I worked with the aspects of traditional architecture, which I abstracted to contemporary look, but I also tried to put my own opinion to the design through different modifications.
An inspiration for the conception of the ‘umbrella’ were the ornaments from a village Tiébelé. After thinking, analysing, and using a bit of fantasy, we can see in this ornament different typologies of roofs. I used this fact during the creation of the ‘umbrella’ itself. The mass of this object grows through different gradations. From simple load-bearing structure, which is located over the gardens to the structures which also have roofing over them.
They look like the ornament from Tiébelé as a whole.

Project description

Regarding the functional connections between the objects situated under the ‘umbrella’, I found the inspiration in the local village Tiébelé. My intetntion was to create public and semi-public spaces. Objects as a whole are creating interesting urban structure, where visitor walks around diverse functions (studios, workshops, bar, stage...) and has the possibility to see the process of making of different local items and performances.
I placed a stage to the centre of urban plan, which is in close contact to the café and gardens. Thanks to this, the visitor has the possibility to see the creation of different performances, which final look can be seen in the main amphitheatre.
The same approach is used in the zone od coworking, where the visitor walks around the studios itself like in a festival. There a new relationship between the artist and the visitor is taking place.
This dynamic life is happening hidden under the ‘umbrella’, which consists of strict rational raster of load-bearing structure and the roof which covers it.

Technical information

I was trying to work with ecological aspects of the design from the very beginning. By designing the ‘umbrella’ was created environment which is pleasant for movement and stay of visitors. At the same time, thanks to the roofs, the rainwater stream is regulated and can be later used during the dry season.
Used materials are sustainable materials from the local sources, such as wood (all the load-bearing structures) and straw (roofing for all the objects).
For the theatre building is used ‘open’ façade. Thanks to specially designed mold, mud blocks are easily created. Those blocks are designed the way, that the façade is always open, which assures to make the air to flow through the interior, but also makes shading and privacy.
The movement of visitors to the amphitheatre is made easier thanks to the design of two ‘tunnels’ which are connecting the theatre with the rest of the site. The space under the amphitheatre is used for toilets for the visitors of the site.
The maintenance entrance to the theatre is located on the northern part of the site.

Co-authors

This project was created at the Faculty of Architecture, Slovak University of Technology Bratislava, with help of my mentor Ing. arch. Martin Kusy, in the 2nd semester of 2019/2020.

Documentation

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