NEUSTART KULTUR GLOBE THEATER BERLIN

Cultural installation Charlottenburg Berlin, with raumlaborberlin

The octagonal wood pavilion wants to formally resemble the worldwide famous Globe theater in London. However, the pavilion is not only a space where to play and perform, it is also a space of encounter, an occasion for people to gather and discuss.

It is located in Berlin in Sömmeringstraße close to the Spree and its unusual form and color do not go unnoticed in the urban context. The pavilion stands thanks to a structure of wooden beams on which rests a roof of sixteen steel arms that are held together with three metal rings in the center. The plywood cladding, left in its natural color, creates a warm and cozy atmosphere inside, which is further emphasized by the light that penetrates through the thin impermeable white foil covering the roof. The outside is istead dark to create a strong contrast with the indoor area and it also gives a more “alien” and mysterious appearance to the design object itself. This uncommon aesthetic attracts people who always approach the entrance of the plot wondering what is going on within the octagon. Contrary to the traditional way of conceiving theaters and due to spatial restraints, the backstage occupies a central and visible area of the plot. One side is facing the theater while the other is facing a public open space where people can gather before and after the show. These conditions generated the necessity of designing a space that would at the same time offer a hidden and protected room where the actors can change their costumes, as well as thinking of a sculptural object that could attract visitors and let them gravitate around it. The result is an unexpected design that catches the eye because of its form and skin. It is a wood pavilion in which wood beams creating a sequence of triangular shape frames establish the structure. For the inner space the empty areas left by the beams are filled with reused plywood panels. The entire indoor space has been afterwards painted blue to level the differences in textures of the surfaces out. The outside skin is a patchwork of reused marquises cut and sewed together in order to fit with the irregular shape of the pavilion. Together the octagon and backstage work a bit like satellites to which visitors and passers-by are attracted. Their shape and appearance contribute, even if only to a small extent, to bring people closer to the world of theater and culture.