THE CITY AS THEATRE STADEN SOM RUM Fร R SCENKONST Diploma Work; Thesis Booklet Tove Grรถnroos Arkitekturskolan, KTH Supervisors: Anders Berensson, Ebba Hallin and Johan Paju VT 2015
Illustration by Tove Grönroos Made as part of the planning process for Kvarteret Brännaren at Malmö SBK 2014
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INDEX 1. Abstract 2. Context 3. Site 4. Thesis 5. Program 6. Method 7. Time Schedule 8. References 9. Appendices
P. 4 P. 6 P. 8 P. 10 P. 12 P. 12 P. 14-15 P. 16-17 P. 18
(- Vända staden ut och in? (kvinliga rum (det interiöra)<>Manliga rum (det publika))
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ABSTRACT My diploma work will strive to investigate how to create a theatre of change. A theatre based on the theories and work of contemporary theatre, especially theatre practised by the Malmö-based theatre group Potato Potato. Potato Potato is a political theatre group, striving – through their practise – for social and cultural changes. My aim is to, through cooperation with Potato Potato, propose ways on how to incorporate ideas of theatre into the planning of Norra Sorgenfri southeast of the centre of Malmö. Norra Sorgenfri is an area that is changing from being an industrial area, to a “city-area” ,with proposed housing-blocks similar to the stone-city. My conceptual starting point, when it comes to city planing, is the idea of the swamp as a metaphor. A swamp is an environment often considered non-profitable but that we now know has a great value as home for a wide variety of life and as provider of fresh water and oxygen. The biodiversity in swamps is often higher than in other environments. I want to use this concept to try to see differently on city-planning and on how to intergrate pockets of “swamps” in the planing process. Through ideas about how the area can develop I will explore ways on how to create space(s) for free theatre groups in this are. The ideas and work of Potato Potato will form my program and inhabit the city. In the spirit of Lina Bo Bardi I will create the link between the theatrical space and the physical design concluding in an overall proposal for the area of Norra Sorgenfri. Questions I’ll ask myself is: - What could a modern monument look like and is it even desirable? - How can contemporary theatrical performance be transformed physically in built architecture? - How can the concept of the swamp (se Appendix 2) be translated into city planning? Keywords: Theatre Space Inside/Outside Open/Closed Room City Interior/Exterior Inclusion/Exclusion Utopia Feminism Monument Time Change
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Visiting Teat(r)o Oficina, São Paulo 2013 Photo: André Kullmar
BACKGROUND The forth year of the Architecture education I spent at Escola de Arquitetura, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), in Brazil. I wanted to explore the culture and investigate the works of Italian-Brazilian architect Lina Bo Bardi. First I thought I might do my Diploma work in Brazil, or at least with a Brazilian site, but after some thinking I thought it better to apply what I learned in Brazil on, and adapt it to, Swedish conditions. During the winter holidays me and architecture student André Kullmar (at the time studying his master at the Bartlett school of Architecture in London) travelled around Brazil and took a closer look at the work by Lina Bo Bardi and in the meantime reading about, as well as writing about, her work with focus on Teat(r)o Oficina Uzyna Uzona (Appendix 1). Teat(r)o Oficina is a theatre in São Paulo created in the 1960’s as part of the Tropicália movement (mostly known for the music by Ceatano Veloso and Gilberto Gil). Lina Bo Bardi started her cooperation with Teat(r)o Oficina as a scenographer as the theatre played “In the Jungle of Cities” by Berthold Brecht. The play also became a reference when, in 1984, Lina Bo Bardi designed what still houses Teat(r)o Oficina. What I found interesting was how closely the building and the theatre plays are connected. As we concluded in the essay the building and the theatre transcend traditional limits of both architecture and theatre. Teat(r)o Oficina is a political theatre working with questions about post-colonialism and capitalism and they always explore the scene/space created by the building. This connection between theatre and architecture made me curious about what this kind of theatre could look like in Sweden and in today’s political and theatrical context. I contacted the Malmö-based progressive feminist theatre group Potato Potato which I knew was working with different ways of exploring political questions in their plays and which also aim at transcending traditional boundaries for theatre. When close to finishing my year at UFMG I therefore thought I should further investigate the context in which Potato Potato is a part, and applied for a job at Malmö Stadsbyggnadskontor, to get to learn more about the urban development of the city of Malmö. I worked for three months at the city planning office (planavdelningen) where my focus was the industrial area Norra Sorgenfri. In discussions with Malmö Kulturförvaltning (a department of Malmö Stad) I was informed that in Malmö there are a lot of small theatre groups, in need of physical spaces to work in, and we discussed the possibility of creating a house for theatre (Scenkonsthus) in Norra Sorgenfri. Due to this and to my already gained knowledge of the area of Norra Sorgenfri I have decided to continue working with the area and investigate the possibilities for one – or many – spaces for free theatre groups (fria teatergrupper) in the area. My idea is to collaborate with Potato Potato when forming my program but also to include other theatre groups in the process. Malmö is an interesting city to work with due to its development as part of the growing Öresund-region as well as how the city of Malmö works with development from a political point of view. Personally I find it interesting to work with another city than Stockholm as well as a city being located in the part of Sweden where I myself grew up (Skåne).
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Visiting Teat(r)o Oficina, São Paulo 2013 Photo: André Kullmar
SITE Norra Sorgenfri is an Industrial area located southeast of the centre of Malmö, Swedens third largest city. The City of Malmö is making extensive plans for development in the area such as housing, shops, work spaces, schools and other services. In the work with Norra Sorgenfri the city of Malmö has an approach of using culture as a driving force for city planning. The discussion of what culture is and how it can motivate different planning decisions lay as a ground for the development of the area. The work with Norra Sorgenfri is also based on strategies in Malmö Översiktsplan and on Malmökomissionen: A document recommending ways of how to equalize the differences in living conditions and make social systems more equal as well as how to change processes concerning political governance. As a physical Site I have chosen Norra Sorgenfri to look at how this area could be developed. The Diploma work will also be based on the idea of the theatrical space, both as a spatial room for theatrical actions created by theatre groups, as well as the idea of the city as a theatre. The theatrical space can be created through the theatrical performances itself (as the meeting between actor and audience). It can also be created through physical constructions of platforms for performances (such as for example plays or other theatrical events) in the form of a stage or room devoted to these particular actions. As an extended view on the theatrical performance the city in itself can also be seen as a theatrical space/stage, constantly acted upon through our own inhabiting of spaces; meetings, boundaries, flows etc. In the latter the question of boundaries between the closed theatrical stage and the city as a stage will be investigated further in search of an understanding of the sites created.
HELSINKI
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MALMÖ
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GDANSK HAMBURG BERLIN
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Norra Sorgenfri today, kvarteret Spiralen Photo : Tove Grönroos
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Malmö in a scandinavian context.
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Norra Sorgenfri today, Site plan
THESIS Space, as stated in “Designing a theatre of Change” (Appendix 1); “is not simply the three dimensional projection of a mental representation, but it is something that is heard, and acted upon” (Tschumi 1996). When we where investigating the architecture in Brazil, especially that of Lina Bo Bardi and Oscar Niemeyer, it became obvious that the process and initial thoughts that the architects had, about what architecture should be, still echoed in their buildings. Niemeyer said that his “work is not about ‘form follows function’ but ‘form follows beauty’, or even better ‘form follows feminine’.” Much of the work by Niemeyer is today, as in the case of Brasília, reduced to monuments over the past. When visiting the capital I sat on the stairs to one of the monumental buildings at the main axle, and was immediately told by a guard to rise. Brasília is now UNESCO world heritage and as the city can not change, the favelas around the city are growing, creating a strange contrast between the administrative sectors and “the other”. Bo Bardi said that one should “not se architecture as built work but as possible means to be and to face (different) situations”. When visiting the work of Bo Bardi, it is clear that the architecture is there to house events and actions and not as monuments of themselves. I want to continue the legacy of Bo Bardi and reject the formalism that in so much dominate the modern architecture tradition. I view space as something created by the relationships between the actions of humans, non-humans, nature and technology. The city is made out of public performances of conflict, and instead of, in a modernist spirit, try to build away those conflicts, I want to see them as the power that generate what a society is. Instead of homogenizing the city into something “ideal” it could rather be looked upon as a swamp; a wetland that might look boring and messy from above, but at a close look and in a bigger perspective, is diverse and beautiful, and what give life to other environments. As a background for my work I will use a storybook I made during the course “Architecture, Gender and Technology” (HT 2014) which can be seen as a kind of manifesto for creating architectural spaces. In the manifesto “Swamps and Slowsteppers” (Appendix 2) I investigate the swamp as a site with hidden values. The idea of the swamp will be used as a tool for looking at the development of Norra Sorgenfri. “A swamp is a wetland that is forested. […] Swamps and other wetlands have traditionally held a very low property value compared to fields, prairies, or woodlands. They have a reputation for being unproductive land that cannot easily be utilized for human activities, other than perhaps hunting and trapping. Farmers, for example, typically drained swamps next to their fields so as to gain more land usable for planting crops. Many societies now realize that swamps are critically important to providing fresh water and oxygen to all life, and that they are often breeding grounds for a wide variety of life.”
Based on the idea of the swamp as an important ecology, but with low property value, I want to look at how the city can change without loosing important sites, activities and values that might otherwise be wiped out due to their low profitability. In “Swamps and Slowsteppers” I manifest the idea of mirror neurons and mirrored actions as a way for creating political change. In their plays Potato Potato works with creating Utopias in which to include the audience. They use the idea of mirror neurons as a pedagogical tool. 10 Diploma Work; Thesis Booklet Tove Grönroos Arkitekturskolan, KTH VT 2015
Their idea is that the actions appearing on stage activate mirror neurons in the audience, therefore making the audience feel as if they where engaged in the actions themselves. ”– Publiken ska få vara med i utopin och förstå att de har den i sig.” ( –”The audience shall be invited into the utopia and understand that they have it in them” (authors translation).
Through investigating the work of Potato Potato I will propose architectural methods and shapes for theatre to exist in an urban landscape. With this program I aim to create a plan for the area of Norra Sorgenfri with theatre as a part of that plan. This will be presented in drawings, models and preferably other ways of presentations that suits the purpose.
“Den Andra Tiden”,Pildammsparken, Malmö 2014 Photo: Tove Grönroos
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PROGRAM - Plans for changes of Norra Sorgenfri: The City as a Theatre. - Proposal for theatre. - Time perspective as a generative factor.
METHOD Analysis: Collect and evaluate information and material. Theatre analysis as well as site analysis in relation to the concepts proposed (Swamps and mirror neurons). I will define the program, it’s users, organisation and material. The Site analysis will be based on the already existing work made by Malmö Stad, Malmö SBK and Diploma Work by Anja Linna (KTH 2013). I will limit my site analysis to mostly focusing on already gained data and thereby enabling more time to be put into the actual design process. The Theatre Analysis will be based on my own gathering of information of different historical and contemporary theatres as well as on the actual theatre performed by Potato Potato and other Malmö based free theatre groups. From the site analysis my strategy will be to evaluate the information in relation to the concept of the swamp and thereby decide how the plans for the area of Norra Sorgenfri can evolve. By translating the parts of the swamp into parts of the city I will decide what should be preserved, demolished or added. My Strategy for how the theatre can be part of the city of Malmö will be evolved as part of a design process continuously throughout the project, with focused sketching, model making and other space investigations separated in focus-periods where conclusions of each part can be made. The design process will strive to find suitable language and graphics. Documentation of design process will be made in different forms such as text, sketches, photographs and model making. The design will be concretized through proposing material, details, technical solutions and atmospheric spaces presented in models, drawings, illustrations and other suitable presentation formats. My goal is to propose a plan for a gradual development over time of Norra Sorgenfri. I will work with different levels of detailing where the theatre will be in the centre and therefore gain more focus than other parts.
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Bernard Tschumi on transgressive Architecture
Different kinds of Theatres
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TIME SCHEDULE Phase 1 (November - December 2014) - Storybook; “Swamps and Slowsteppers - as feminist design power tools” (From the course “Architecture, Gender and Technology). √ - Thesis booklet (this document) √ Phase 2 (January 2015) A: Investigate relevant case study objects for study trips. Contact Potato Potato, Malmö SBK and Malmö Kulturförvaltning Reading of relevant material (theatre history etc) (Search for relevant theories and gather what I already have). Investigate illustration methods (framework) B: Start a blog or other media to post what I produce Site visit + Site analysis. Choose methods and tools for the project Phase 3 (February 2015) (w 5-9) Concept: First sketches (time perspective and holistic proposal for the area). Articulate strategy and collect and articulate what this theatre/project should be and why. Connect strategy with references and theories. Study trip I Phase 4 (March 2015) (w 9-14) First sketches/Drawing/Models etc for project Design Process (Midcrit) Phase 5 (April 2015) (w 14-18) Reflection (right after midcrit) + Study trip II Design processing Design conclusion Phase 6 (May 2015) (w 18-22) 6A Processing Materials Finish models/ Films / Perspectives/Illustrations (Final Crit) 6B Presentation: Refine drawings and text Make final presentation/Showroom-scenography (Examination) Phase 7 ( 1-5 June 2015) Diploma days 14 Diploma Work; Thesis Booklet Tove Grönroos Arkitekturskolan, KTH VT 2015
Work scedule Diploma Work Tove Grönroos
DAY
MONTH JANUARY 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 DIPLOMA 13 DAYS 14 15 16 17 18 19-25 Jan 19 w 4 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 Jan - 1 Feb 26 w 5 27 28 29 30 31
FEBRUARY w6
2-8 Feb
MARCH w 10
APRIL
MAY Public Holiday
2-8 March Good Friday
Holy Saturday Easter Day
w 15
w7
9-15 Feb
w 11
6 -12 Apri
w 19
4-10 May
Diploma Days
9-15 March
Spring term ends
Midcrit Degree project students Midcrit Degree project students
11-17 May Final Seminar Degree project students Final Seminar Degree project students w 20
w 16
13-‐19 April
Ascension Day
16-22 Feb STUDY TRIP?
w9
23 Feb -1 March
Days Days Days Days Days
lEaster Monday
2014 w8
JUNE Diploma Diploma Diploma Diploma Diploma
16-22 March reflection week reflection week reflection week reflection week
w 12
w 17
20-26 April
w 18
27 April - 3 May
w 21
18-24 May
w 22
25-31 May
30 March - 5 April STUDY TRIP?
w 14
Bachelor Diploma week
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PROPOSED REFERENCES THEORIES: Dalia Muktar Langren, sociologi Berthold Brecht Dario Fo - Radical Theatre Judith Butler - Gender Performance Bernard Tschumi - Transgressive architecture DAAR - Decolonizing Architecture Art Residence Lina Bo Bardi (and Olivia de Oliviera) Milton Santos, kulturgeografi (???) Henri Lefebvre och david Harvey, kulturgeografi Gender planning (Dolores Hayden “What would a non-sexist city be like?”) LITTERATURE: (facklitteratur:) Malmökomissionen Malmös översiktsplan SBKs documents for development of Norra Sorgenfri Malmö Högskolas A-Ö om kultur som drivkraft för stadsplanering From the seminar course “Architecture, Gender and technology” + prata med Helene Frichot! Katarina Bonnevier “Behind straight curtains”? “Rum och teater” Per Edström och peretti Piha (Skönlitteratur) Kristian Lundberg “Jarden” Liv Strömquist “Kunskapens frukt” m.m. ... OTHER WEB-BASED MEDIA: Podden “Staden” om Malmö Bloggen “Norra Sorgenfri” by Jörgen Andersson Student diploma work by Anja Linna “Urban Caring– Finding Creative Strategies for CareFul Architectural Practices in Norra Sorgenfri, malmö” FILM Documentary K-special about “Gruppen” a Swedish feminist theatre group (2014-10-30) “Resan till Melonia” Documentary about Potato Potato (finished 2015) ARCHITECTURE Lina Bo Bardi “Teatro Oficina”, São Paulo, Brazil Temalekplats teater in Pildammsparken, Malmö Fun Palace, Cedric Price Große Schauspielhaus, Berlin m.m 16 Diploma Work; Thesis Booklet Tove Grönroos Arkitekturskolan, KTH VT 2015
THEATRE Potato Potato, Malmö, Sweden Teat(r)o Oficina Uzyna Uzona, São Paulo, Brazil Teater Interakt, Malmö
MATERIAL: -Sketchup model Norra Sorgenfri √ - Platsanalys (delvis √) - Cad-underlag Malmö (be Malmö SBK) - Ritningsunderlag cad/Illustrator N. Sorgenfri √
Fun Palace
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APPENDIX 1. “Designing a Theatre of Change” Essay about Teatro Oficina. 2. “Swamps and Slowsteppers”, Storybook and Feminist Design Power tool.
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