All facades perform like a ‘21st century canvas’ optimizing potential for new technologies and lighting systems to be fully integrated within the fabric of the outer fenestration. The geometry and layering to this façade system echoes the traditional headdress of Kosovo and has been reinterpreted in a futuristic manner. It allows the ‘Cubes’ to have texture of light, shadow and silhouette and provide breathtaking views across Pristina from its upper levels.
The programme for the performance spaces have been separated into 2 cube volumetrics and orientated and offset within the site to provide aspect to the city, in a way a ‘Window of Performance’ to the city. The cube forms sit within a newly formed public park space that continues the theme of ‘light’ and combination of sound within the blade like installations within the park. This will allow the public to enjoy the installations of light and sound within this newly formed ‘City Square’ throughout the day and evenings making it an experience of sound and light for all.
The main Opera and Ballet Theatres have been in arranged as follows to optimize spatial experience, construction methodology and a cost-effective approach to the realisation of such a combination of cultural buildings. The hybrid hall, hung up through systematic grid structures in the big box, can serve adaptively for concert performance and ballet opera performance, which can help the daily operation of the whole theatre to be more efficient. This approach for flexibility in use is key to the success of any performing arts centre as it is in our response to the brief.
Meanwhile, the recital and playhouse are sitting together in another isolated box. Both cubes are connected with the arrival foyer at ground level and plateau level. This arrangement can allow audience quickly divided into two flows and entre each auditorium foyer separately. From the acoustic perspective, it also helps to minimise adjacencies of acoustically sensitive spaces, whether those are noise producing, or noise sensitive. The auditoria and rehearsal spaces have intermediary spaces – such as circulation spaces – to minimise the requirement for specialist, sound separation constructions. Sound separation has also been considered from auditoria to the outside of the building, for noise egress during performances and noise ingress from the nearby roads, trainlines, and stadium.
‘Theatres of Light’ is a design proposal that ultimately presents a new iconic project for Kosovo but very much in parallel serves as an exciting new asset of cultural service and public space for the people of Pristina.
