THEATER OF LIGHT AND SHADOW
adaptation of renaissance pavilion as a theater
master degree, 2nd semester
competition entry - reuse italy 2023
professor: dr inż. arch. Karolina Sobczyńska
teammates: Natalia Maćkowska, Zuzanna Mitera, Marta Skrzypczak
year: 2023
location: Genazzano, Italy
section through the whole park
The Theater of Light and Shadow is a competition project giving a second life to a Renaissance pavilion in the countryside of Rome in Genazzano. Designed by the Italian architect Donateo Bramante, the nymphaeum was the centerpiece of a small garden with several lakes and a small river located on the hillside next to the main gate of the city. The conceptual design assumes the adaptation of this area into a theater and a small park. The main nave was adapted for a stage, and the auditorium was moved in front of the building, thanks to which the Nympheum becomes a scenography for performances and happenings. In the design of the additional pavilion with the audience, the difference in terrain was used, thanks to which it is immersed in the garden and greenery without blocking the view on the ruins of the Nymphaeum.
exterior visualization - theater of light
Technical rooms and café are located on the garden level, and the auditorium on the roof of the new pavilion is on the level of the Nymphaeum. The delicate, movable structure of the auditorium roofing protects the spectators against weather conditions. The structure placed inside the Nimfeum refers to the original shape of the building, using modern materials, so as to easily distinguish the new elements from the original structure. The new additions were designed from a translucent material mounted on a steel structure. The oculus in the central part referring to the original design and delicate transparent curtains create an interesting shading and a unique atmosphere inside the theatre. The design provides two possibilities of arranging the main nave - in the first the entire nave is a stage, in the second the stage is in the central part of the nave and the audience surrounds it from two sides. Thanks to this, two different types of events are possible - theater of light and theater of shadow.
interior visualization - theater of shadow
