Project Description

This design consists of a main theatre space 20m deep into the escarpment, which is flanked with branching tunnels that draw in the outside environment. Shallow cuts form pathways into the buildings with subtle changes in elevation. Colour as well as texture are integral to the graphic representation of this project; due to the restrained drama, subdued tones of black pair with the lively texture of charcoal to tell the tale. The depth and light expression of charcoal is especially important in the vignettes; the textures of the materials give a tactile quality to the drawings, allowing them to give the viewer an imagination of what those materials might feel like in person. The roof of the theatre bridges the subtle elevation changes present in the architecture and the cut landscape. The roof bends down and forms a colonnade on one side, marking the entrance pathway and creating an “in-between” space to move through.

The main path which leads from the road is formed from a steel grate, including a bridged crosswalk to Major Hills park that acts as both a material link as well as the added bonus of sounds of cars and other things passing over the hollow bump in the road. This steel path links up with the secondary gravel path, creating a combination of textures to walk on. At times the steel grate opens to spaces below.

Since the theatre is about the ground and the bedrock, we decided on a subdued material palette; this included concrete for the enclosed walls of the theatre spaces, and then black steel as roof and bridging material.