The Wave: A Modern Theatre with Classical Character

When they arrived, the students found a plot of land strewn with garbage. The exterior walls of a long-abandoned building still stood. The students developed a concept that integrated the existing walls into both the design and construction of their plan. The old walls surround the theatre called The Wave and delimit it from the street. The former window and door apertures have been closed off with wooden panels, and the passageways are now blocked, but the line of sight from the street to the interior space has been preserved; passers-by can take a look inside. The Stitio Eriazo collective places great value on the architectural link between the theatre and the urban environment. They want to create a public space for the entire neighbourhood.  The students were inspired by classical theatre architecture and chose the shape of an amphitheatre. The public seating rises above a semicircular stage. Meant to resemble a wave, the seats form a crest, forming a link between each different level. Wooden platforms reminiscent of Euro-pallets serve as seats. The workshop and service rooms are accommodated under the stage. This separates the various functional spaces and simultaneously provides a visual and acoustic connection.  The project is based on a wooden skeleton construction. The load transfer is ensured by V-shaped struts and the old walls. Since the theatre is located in an earthquake zone, the architecture students worked closely with structural engineers when planning the construction.  

Training staff: Christian Hermansen Cordua, Solveig Sandness
Students: Anna Gran Berild, Eva De Meersman, Truls Glesne, Timothy Hancock, Morten Jakobsen, Hauk Jonathan Lien, Paul-Antoine Lucas, Carolina Martins, Malen Sønvisen Moe, Ida Gjerde Nordstrøm, Ragnhild E. Osbak, Fu Tung Sze, Silje Træen, Clara Trivino Massó, Vilde Vanberg, Yinan Zhang.