Key Issues
Successful performance spaces have some very particular requirements, which competitors are expected to understand and explore in order to create an environment in which the unique interaction between audience, artists and technology, which constitutes a live performance, can flourish. Some key issues to be considered are set out below:
Audience Cohesion
The way in which an audience is arranged, in relation to the performance, plays a key role in creating a successful atmosphere where audiences feel engaged by the performance and performers can communicate well with them. How does this relationship work and what factors are at play in a successful performance space? This can take many different forms but the key is maintaining an appropriate human scale where a performer can command a whole audience. To achieve this the audience must be as close as possible to the performance and be able to see and hear well. Competitors are asked to highlight how their entries will support this essential relationship.
Sightlines
To see well the audience must be arranged so they can all see the performance. Not only must their view be free of obstructions, but they must also be sufficiently close to the performers to distinguish their gestures and appreciate the scenic or architectural space they occupy. There are many different ways in which this can be achieved, depending upon the type of performance and the configuration of the space, but the essential principles are constant.
Acoustics
Good hearing is as important as good seeing. Different performance types require different acoustic conditions to be best appreciated. Speech, for instance, requires a less reverberant environment than that required for un-amplified music. Where a space is to be used for a range of different performance types some means of varying the acoustic may be necessary. The acoustic of a room is determined by its shape, volume and materials. St. Anna's is a church with a high reverberation time, caused by its large volume, and this issue will need to be considered. Recorded or live sound effects and music will also play an important role in many productions.
Technical Requirements
Most performances rely upon some form of stage technology to facilitate them. This includes stage lighting, projection and sound systems and mechanical systems, which are used to suspend or move scenery or to reconfigure the room. Provision for these systems needs to be integrated into the design and must be accessible and safe to use.
Interpretation
The style and type of performance and the way it uses a particular space to interpret a particular piece or to tell a story, including the use of lighting, sound and scenography, is a key consideration.
The Purpose
You must state what type of performance(s) the design will be used for. Establishing a clear link between the performance and the architecture is a key aim of the competition. The design may be specific to a single performance, a particular performance type or a range of different uses. Drawings of the theatre space should illustrate how it will be used for a performance.
Accommodation
The size of the theatre space and other accommodation will be constrained by the existing building, the site and the performance type but the following requirements need to be considered:
‧ A space for a live performance with an audience, either
sitting or standing.
‧ Facilities for the audience, including toilets and the sale of
tickets, food and drink.
‧ Technical installations for the performance (lighting, sound,
mechanical systems).
‧ Accommodation for performers.
‧ Safe evacuation of all occupants in an emergency.
‧ Access for people with disabilities.
