Literature Review REPORT

2LITERATURE

REVIEW AND CASE STUDY

PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE

SAMPADA THAPA MAGAR 069/BAE/236

REPORT SUBMITTED TO INU PRADHAN SALIKE TRIBHUWA UNIVERSITY INSTITUTE OF ENGINEERING

DBEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE PULCHOWK CAMPUS

2017

1. INTRODUCTION

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1.1 ARTS The arts refer to an outlet of expression that is usually influenced by culture and which in turn helps to change culture. The arts are the physical manifestation of the internal creative impulse. Major constituents of the arts include literature (poetry, novels, short stories, epics), performing arts (music, dance, theatre), culinary arts (baking, chocolatiering, wine making), media arts (photography, cinematography) and visual arts (drawing, painting, ceramics, sculpting). The arts are interdisciplinary for e.g. Visual elements combination with performance (film) and written words (comics). An art can be means of entertainment for laymen while if educated it may convey a deeper meaning.

1.2 IMPACT OF ARTS

Organization & Institutions Presence of ArtistsParticipatio and Arts Audience Involvement Direct

Material/ Health Builds interpersonal ties and promotes volunteering, which improves Increases opportunities for enjoyment Relieves Stress Increases individual opportunity and propensity to be involved in the arts

Individual Cognitive / Psych. Increases sense of individual efficacy and self-esteem Increases cultural capital Enhances visuospatial reasoning

(Guetzkow, 2002)

Interpersonal Builds individual social networks Enhances ability to work with others Increases tolerance of others

Economic Wages to paid employees

People (esp. tourists/visitors) spend money on attending the arts and on local Increases propensity of comm.- unity members to participate in the arts

Community Cultural Increases sense of collective identity and efficacy Builds community identity and pride Leads to Improves community image and status

Increases attractiveness of area to tourists, businesses, people Table 1: Impact of the arts

1.3 PERFORMING ARTS Performing art uses artists own rhythmic movements, steps and gestures for often to express a sentiment or mood or illustrate a specific event or daily activities thus differing it from other art forms. It is created out of the behaviors, emotions, values that are invested in images and symbols appropriate to a particular social group. Performing arts involves various disciples from dance, music, theatre, magic, illusions, opera, performance art, [069-BAE-236]

Social Builds social capital by getting people involved, by connecting People come together who might not otherwise come into contact Promotes neighborhood cultural diversity Reduces neighborhood crime and delinquency

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puppetry, circus, public speaking, recital, etc. which are performed in front of live audiences. According to Baffe and Peters (2000), performing arts has been classified as     

Music (playing music or singing, opera, hyms, raps, etc) Dancing (ethnic, folk, ice dancing, ballet, etc) Acting (plays, musicals, mimes, comedy) Literary (reading poetry, storytelling) Multimedia or others (music videos, street performances, circuses,etc)

1.4 Performing Arts Centre Performing arts centre often abbreviated as PAC is a multipurpose space that caters for various types of performing arts. It is a cluster of performance spaces, usually but not always under one roof, each possibly designed for a specific purpose such as symphonic music or chamber music or theatre, but multi-purpose as a whole. Performing arts centre has undergone many changes in the past years which has been discussed below:

The evolution of performing arts centre  Generation one- Arts Centre as “Home” While theatres were built throughout the history from Greek and Roman amphitheatres to great European opera houses and concert halls, the prototypical modern performing arts centre, comprised of a complex of several genre-specific performance spaces- dates only back to 1960’s and early 1970’s (development of New Yorks Lincoln Centre, London National Theatre and Sydney Opera House. These first arts centres brought together the traditional art-makers, producers and sometimes a public library or art schools (e.g. Lincoln Centre and others), providing a home for the classical performing arts: the symphony, ballet, opera and occasional theatre company in a campus like setting for the arts. These centres focused on creating ‘home’ for ‘high arts’; a place to see and be seen, best described as ‘showcases’ to the community largely targeted to the community elite.  Generation two: Arts Centre as “Place” The valuable secondary effect- the density of the activity and people (artists, artistic companies, audiences) resulted into secondary development (or redevelopment) in the surrounding neighborhood by mid to late 1970’s. arts precincts became attractive places for new commercial developments and renewed investment in restaurants, [069-BAE-236]

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retail, housing, business offices, or other amenities were attracted by art and related activity. Hence cities around the world recognized that PCA could cause revitalization of the urban cores at a time when many residents and businesses were leaving for the suburbs. Planners and community leaders recognized the arts as a key anchor for city centre vibrancy. This effect was a guiding force in the development of Arts Centre Melbourne and the entire Melbourne arts precinct as well as redevelopment initiatives in the US, Europe and Australia that began in the late 1980s and still it continues to drive the development of new performing arts especially in Asia and South America in the present context.  Generation three: The Community’s “Centre” The third evolution began from early 1990’s. previously, communities often used a new arts centre as a magnet to attract established, touring artists and companies from “out -of-town, too bring culture to their cities and town,” because of absence of complete art systems and needed diversity and credibility to their existing or emerging local performing arts companies. Along same time some 2nd generation Pac realized that they have becomes indistinct from one another as they were presenting same artists and same shows cities to cities. Hence these centres sought to carve out a broader, more organic role connected to fabric of their community. The became nexuses of civic activity, interlocutor, incubators, meeting places and centres of discourse and learning. Their activities became about better community access, serving more children and families and bringing diverse community together including development of extensive education programs. Generation 3 centres often offer school-time performances, master classes, pre- and post-performance discussions, talent searches, scholarships, summer theatre camps and more. The goal was to make the PAC more accessible to a broader and more diverse community.  Generation four: Creativity and Innovation Research by the Urban Institute, a Washington, D.C. think-tank, beginning in the late 1990’s and continuing for more than a decade, documented that the concept of “cultural vitality” being one of the essential elements in successful communities. Cultural Vitality refers to a concept that “Cultural vitality is the evidence of creating, disseminating, validating, and supporting arts and culture as a dimension of everyday life in communities.” Cultural vitality comprises of three elements: 1. Facilitating the presence of opportunities for cultural expression  a mix of nonprofit, commercial, public, and informal venues and opportunities for cultural engagement is essential to create the continuum of participation that enables robust arts practice and consumption, both amateur and professional  In addition to conventional cultural venues such as museums, theaters, and concert halls and permanent facilities such as libraries, community [069-BAE-236]

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centers, and parks, temporary venues and events as festivals, parades, arts markets, and even farmers’ markets are important aspects of a community’s cultural landscape, particularly when these events are recurrent  nonprofit, public, and commercial; those with large, mid-sized, and small budgets; those that are concerned primarily with the presentation of professional artwork; those that are artist-focused and critical to professional artists’ careers; those that seek to preserve tangible and intangible history and culture; those that seek to enable the invention of new forms of artistic and creative expression; and those that seek to advance and validate both amateur and professional arts practice.  organizations that are key catalysts for both amateur and professional arts practice and collaborate with a range of arts and non-arts organizations as part of their programming are especially important for a community’s cultural vitality  the design of a space or building that takes into consideration a range of possible cultural uses will involve attention to public access, pedestrian traffic, performance area, lighting, acoustics, inclusion of permanent as well as temporary areas that accommodate a variety of displays, and opportunities for active as well as audience participation in creative activities 2. Enabling participation in arts and cultural activity  It is still too often assumed, both inside and outside the professional cultural sector, that cultural participation means viewing or purchasing professional arts  People participate in arts and cultural activity in many different ways and at different skill levels—as practitioners (making and doing work), teachers, students, critics, supporters, and consumers. People also engage individually and collectively, sporadically and on a regular basis  arts education (kindergarten through high school) and after-school arts programs are an important form of participation that leads to future cultural and other types of civic engagement  audience participation in different kinds of venues  public discourse about arts and cultural practices in newspapers and electronic media (television, radio, web) 3. Providing support for arts and cultural activity  To get a more complete handle on support for the arts, it is important to consider resources for arts activity in the commercial sector as well as for unincorporated arts activity in addition to resources for nonprofit arts. [069-BAE-236]

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 This includes direct and indirect support for arts vis-à-vis tax incentives, small business loans, and similar inducements for commercial sector involvement, as well as less formalized donations and investments in unincorporated activities  A high incidence of working artists in a particular place is a strong indicator of cultural vitality and provides at least some measure of the support available for key types of artistic endeavors. The Generation 4 PAC creates public value opportunity by making diverse programs accessible to diverse audiences. It provides critical support for high quality programs, enables innovation in the development of content and delivery and provides essential support to emerging ideas of artistic expression. The Generation 4 PAC must also be nimble, provide a high level of technical and functional accommodation, look beyond its traditional performance venues and usual delivery mechanisms to meet its audiences where they want to engage and be able to take risk to supplement programs already present in the community. It is a learning environment through which new experiences are generated and new knowledge is created that enhances cultural awareness, expression and understanding. Role of Generation four Arts Centre are:  Host to traditional performing arts  Incubator: enabler of new content and emerging organization, provide facilities, technical support and management guidance to ensure success.  Educator: recognizes gap in the arts education and collaborates to develop and offer programs to youth, under served, life-long learners.  Showcase: provide platform for presentation and exhibition of the new, the different and the traditional.  Advocate/change agent: advocate for change and support as Generation Four Arts centre is a leader of exploring the evolution of the sector, art forms, delivery system and audiences.  Innovator: encourage risk and manage exposure by developing leadership skills, tools, systems and financial resources that support exploration.

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1.5 HISTORY OF PERFORMING ARTS The drama evolved from rituals of ancient man has been widely accepted. These rituals contained dramatic elements. The kinds of rituals were initiation (to teach tribe’s customs to young boys reaching manhood), war (to kindle bravery in warriors), story (to imitate events of hunt or battle or to preserve history) and religious (to appease numerous unseen spirits primitive man felt controlled his world). The

Roman Theatre

classical period of performing arts began from 6th century Greek era. The forms that started to evolve was large open air theatres (amphitheatres). These amphitheatres took advantage of sloping hillsides for their terraces seating. The Greek theatre buildings (theatron) consist of three important parts: the skene (back stage), the orchestra or a dancing place which was present at centre. The orchestra was a large circular area about 150 m across. This place was used for the performance, the choral performance and for religious rituals as well. These types of theatres were built to cater audiences ranging from 25000 people. Due to heavy mass of audience for which the dramas were performed, their drama style was melodramatic. During that period, heavy and shiny costumes were used so that the audience could recognize the characters from far away. The chorus was sung by at least 50 actors so that the whole mass could hear it. Then came the Roman theatres which were similar to Greek theatres and

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developed magnificently in keeping with Rome’s imperial status. However, the Roman theatres were built upon their own foundations being completely enclosed from all sides.

Greek Theatre Renaissance Theatre: Ellipse cavea, Scanae frons broken up by several arches

Renaissance Theatre: Forced perspective, raked stage beyond proscenium

In 16th century, there was rise of Shakespearean theatres. It was in this period that commercial theatre started. The globe theatres were constructed of wooden framings, infilled with wattle and daub and roofed with thatched. Then throughout the the 18 th century opera rapidly became entertainment of the choice for aristocracy in most of the Europe and eventually for la4rge number of people living in the cities and towns throughout Europe.

Popular Theatre (industrial revolution) Elizabeth Theatre Platform Stage (Medieval Stage)

Pageant wagon (Medieval Stage)

In 19th century, the growth of performing arts for all social classes started during which time music halls was unique development. In 20th century there was use of different technologies to create dramatic effect. Theatre became international in the 20th century. Rapid modes of communication travel and fostered worldwide touring companies; cultural exchange of artists, theories, and production; and international publication of dramatic texts. Numerous Experimental movements of varying duration included symbolic, expressionism, and theatre of the absurd, epic theatres, documentary [069-BAE-236]

PERFORMING ART CENTRE drama, and environmental production. However, realism remained the most popular mode of writing and stage in west, and the picture-framed playhouse- enhanced by lighting, sound, and other technologies-remained the most common style of Theatre architecture.

1.6 HISTORY OF THEATRE IN NEPAL Nepal being a country of diverse culture and tradition from east to west and from Himalayas to Terai, its geo-cultural position is strongly influenced by its linguistic and cultural diversity. This makes our country vibrant and hence it has been clearly manifested in both visually tangible and intangible art forms. The country has become theatre itself with rituals, folklores which in time grew with real experience of the people in their daily lives. Here the performing arts are a part of heritage in which there is blend of structured forms and the dynamism of rituals and practices. Festivals can be considered as the most significant form of Nepalese performing arts. These are the mass dynamism of people (both spectator and performer). These festivals are characterized by the participation of the community in the presences of stories and dance in setting that like any other form of ritual or community plays were attended by members of the community who lived in an atmosphere of mutual contact and similar cultural practice. All the spectators of the performance are generated by the performer’s movement over the space defined by religio-architecture formation. The journey is choreographed in advance, in the architecture and landscape pattern that have continued to surprise the viewers even today. These performances can be gleaned from the architectural patterns of the building, courtyard, temples plinth and raised platform ‘dabu’ or ‘dabali’. Even palaces were constructed or modified in such a way that such activities involving a larger audience could be performed comfortably within palace precincts. The radius of Kathmandu’s Hanuman Dhoka royal palace stands as a witness to this fact. Thus, we can say that traditional Kathmandu architectural patterns were made by people’s performing culture. The Nepali history of theatre dates back to Kirat period. In this, ‘Knochring’ (priest) were in charge of dance and music. According to historian Prachanda Malla, the concept of raised platform ‘Dabu’ has its origin in Lichchavi period. Also, the inscription at Naxal mentions compound ‘Prekshan Mandapi’ or platform of performance. In Medieval period, the Malla kings not only promoted performing arts but also gave rise to new forms of performing arts such as ‘navadurga’ and ‘narsimha’ dances. Trusts were established by rulers like Siddhi Narshingha Malla and Rai Malla. The Malla rulers rather than sit back as spectators they took part in most of the performances, appearing either in a role of king or as a representative of a god. Pratap Malla, who ruled the valley from 1641 to 1674, for example, played the role of Narsimha. Religious and tantric customs, in the form of dance-dramas, took center stage of the evolving theater traditions in Nepal after the Malla kings came to power in 1200 AD. These would take place in a raised platform called

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‘Dabali’. These ‘Dabalis’ and ‘Mandapa’ continued to be main location for public entertainment. Later Ranas replaced ‘Dabalis’ with imitation of theatrical traditions of Royal Indian courts and western style. The Rana’s and their acquaintances began to enjoy Nepali, Hindi and Urdu plays. Rangakarmis (artists) were kept on a payroll and were frequently hired to perform to entertain the autocrats, their family and guests. Only female rangakarmis were hired, as the rulers were wary of any possibility of brewing immoral liaisons inside the palace with the presence of male rangakarmis. So, inside the palace it was an all-woman show with women masquerading as men to play the male characters. The gender sensitivity in the theaters outside the palace gave rise to an exactly opposite trend, in the form of all male shows, where the men played roles of women. The Natyashala, a hall for performing plays and dance, was built inside the Singha Durbar in 1930s. The Natyashala (Dance House) had a proper seating arrangement for the audience and a balcony large enough to accommodate the family and relatives of the Ranas. These theaters experimented with multimedia; i.e., visual and audio effects, though in a ‘non-technical’ way. For example, heavy stones were rolled from upstairs down to the empty space right underneath the stage to create the sounds of thunder or of war. Similarly, multiple curtains painted with the scenes depicting the story set-up were also used. In 1940s Nepal got driven into modern form. With involvement of dramatist Bal Krishna Sama plays were written and played in secular theme by directors like Hari Prasad Rimal and Gopi Nath Rimal. In 1950s Juddha Shumsher built Jana Sewa for public. In 1960s government of Nepal began to support to the contemporary theatre. In 1990s, the popularity of cinemas and invasion of television pushed live theatre to the cultural background. In this way, Nepalese historical background of theatre and performances are confined within valley only. In Nepal history of performing Art started from Malla period. King Pratap Malla played drama in Nasal Chowk of Hanumandhoka. Performances used to take place in open elevated squares. After the democracy, there was proper development of performing arts. Bal Krishna Sama, father of modern Nepalese drama wrote famous dramas like Prempinda, Mutu ko betha etc. Later on, Rastriya Nach Ghar, City Hall, Royal Nepal Academy were constructed for the development of the drama.

Fig. Newari Acoustic

Nepali theatre has thus three very distinct lines:  One is the rich heritage of performance that blends rituals, festivals and dancedramas, especially in the performances in the Kathmandu valley. Use of mask is very important in such theatres. Mask helps to transcend the limitation of times, and invoke the power of the space that was there in earlier times. For example, a dramatic [069-BAE-236]

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performance with mask, song and drums creates the ambience of the all-time real myth and the visible space becomes the stage for such performance.  The heritage of Nepali folk theatre is very old. People living in different geographical terrain, from an altitude of sixteen thousand to two thousand feet above the sea level have given rise to diverse folk traditions and theatrical forms.  The movement of the people from the country to the urban area has a unique theatrical value. As mentioned by Portoghesi in his book, the architectural patterns follow the patterns of life and living styles. The theatrical spaces of the Kathmandu architectural patterns are made by people's performance culture. A free movement of the people their culture helped to the design the frontality of the Newari houses and different interaction spaces and building of the Kathmandu valley. There is a unique relationship between the frontality of the theatre and spectators' participation. Free movements of the people within and without the frontality of the architectural locations is the main feature of the performance culture in Kathmandu. The present scenario of Nepali theatre is characterized by one the one hand by experiments with the new forms and on the other by preservation of the culturally significant heritage of theatre. Closed space in being giving more emphasizes as performing space as development of new technology even though use of traditional space like dabu, chautari, pati and street also exist there.

Dabali Dabali or Dabu id most pronounced form of theatre in Kathmandu. It is a raised platform in a courtyard or open place which is used for cultural and religious performances and other rituals. It has been a cultural node for open air public performances in newarii community. Dabali’s are usually attached to a built space (temple) and open in three remaining sides. These spaces incorporate public interaction and association factors in an open space composition making the ambience more vibrant. Generally square or rectangular in shape these places were used for cultural, political and social programs where large crowd could gather but recently Dabali has been used for market place and gathering space as well.

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1.7 TYPES AND THE FORM OF THEATRE The scale of a theatre depends on the size of the staging required by the type of performance and the number of audience to be accommodated, with each variable influencing the other as they change. A theatre is not simply a space for looking at or listening to a performance. A successful theatre for live performance supports the emotional exchange between the performer and the audience, and between members of the audience.

Space for Drama Drama comedy or tragedy can be performed in many different types of theatres, as well as outdoors, in warehouses, stairwells, and other unusual places. Many of these spaces and forms also support musical theatre, which comes under “Spaces for entertainment”. For simplicity, drama spaces are categorized into smaller drama theatres, which include flexible and courtyard theatres and larger drama theatres, which include thrust, open, and proscenium stages. Smaller drama theatres A small drama theatre usually seats between 50 and 300. It often doesn’t have a separate stage house; the stage is within the same architectural space as the audience. These small theatres often feature a unique or especially intimate actor/audience relationship. This may be defined by a fixed seating arrangement, or the relationship may be created by temporary seating set up in a found space or in a flexible, purpose-built space. a. Arena A theatre in which the audience completely surrounds the stage or playing area. The stage itself is in this arrangement is typically round, square or triangular, and actor’s entrances and exit to the playing area are provided through gaps in the seating arrangement or below the stage. Such space is usually configured with the stage on an even level or lowered below the audience in ‘pit’ or ‘arena’ formation. The configuration lends itself to high energy productions and is favored by classical theatre. Theatre-in-round was common in ancient theatre, particularly that of Greece and Rome but was not widely explored again until latter half of 20 th century. This form of economical seating maximizes audiences in minimum enclosure. However even with 1000

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seats, the most distant members of audiences should not be more than 32 ft. from nearest part of stage. It is very suitable performances such as circus, dance, fashion shows, wrestling, etc. However, given that the audience across the acting area is no part of the performance is a negative factor to the degree that it is distracting. The actors all the time have their back facing some members of the audience. Hence, it is necessary to maintain pitch of the seating arena. It is also not suitable for music performances for listeners sitting behind the orchestra due to poor instrumental balance. Orchestra members also face poor on-stage communication. However, it also allows realistic staging. The configuration is also applied when theatrical performances are presented in restaurants, public areas such as fairs and festivals, or street theatres. Special consideration has to be taken in set design so as to not obscure any audience’s view of the performance.

Arena

b. Thrust A theatre in which the stage is extended so that the audience surrounds it on three sides. The thrust stage may be backed by an enclosed proscenium stage, providing a place for background scenery, but audience views into the proscenium opening are usually limited. Actor entrances are usually provided to the front of the thrust through gaps in the seating or is connected to backstage area by its upstage end. A thrust has advantage of greater intimacy between audience and performer than proscenium, while retaining the utility of backstage.

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Thrust(apron) stage

Thrust Stage with

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As in arena, the audience in thrust may view the stage from three or more sides. If a performance employs the fourth wall, that imaginary wall must be maintained in multiple sides. Because the audience can view the performance in various perspectives, it is usual for the blocking, props and scenery to receive thorough consideration to ensure that no perspective is blocked from view. A high-backed chair, for instance, when placed stage right, could create a blind spot in stage left action.

c. End stage A theatre in which the audience seating and stage occupy the same architectural space, with the stage at one end and the audience seated in front facing the stage. It is open and therefore is more flexible than proscenium arch theatres. The seats are raked up. The modern theatres and school theatres are often end or a mix of this and proscenium arch. These are popular theatres and take a wide variety of production mostly play text.

End Stage

Flexible theatres Flexible theatre is a generic term for a theatre in which the playing space and audience seating can be configured as desired for each production. Often, the theatre can be configured into the arena, thrust, and end stage forms as described above. Environmental, promenade, black box, and studio theatre are other terms for this type of space, suggesting particular features or qualities. a. Environmental theatre [069-BAE-236]

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A found space in which the architecture of the space is intrinsic to the performance, or a theatre space that is transformed into a complete environment for the performance. The audience space and performance space are sometimes intermingled, and the action may be single-focus or multiple-focus. In environmental theatre, the physical space is an essential part of the performance. Environmental Theatre

b. Promenade theatre A theatre without fixed seating in the main part of the auditorium, this allows the standing audience to intermingle with the performance and to follow the focal point of the action to different parts of the room. Multiple-focus action and a moving audience are the primary characteristics of the promenade theatre.

Promenade Theatre

c. Black box theatre A flexible theatre usually without character, a “void” space that may indeed be black, but isn’t always. Usually, audience seating is on the main floor, with no audience galleries, though a technical gallery may be provided.

d. Studio theatre A flexible theatre with one or more audience galleries on three or four sides of a rectangular room. The main floor can usually be reconfigured into arena, thrust, end stage, and flat floor configurations. The Black Box Theatre room usually has some architectural character.

e. Courtyard theatre The term courtyard theatre embraces a range of theatre forms, all with the common characteristic of at least one raised seating gallery surrounding a central area. Often this central area is flexible, and can be configured into arena, thrust, end stage, and flat floor configurations. Sometimes the central area has fixed seating that faces a proscenium opening and stage. Inspired by the Shakespearean theatre of Elizabethan times and the English Georgian Theatre, the [069-BAE-236]

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much-loved Cottesloe Theatre at the National Theatre in London is the granddaddy of contemporary courtyard theatres. Interestingly, a courtyard theatre does not need to be rectangular. Hall Two at The Sage is a striking example of a 16-sided courtyard theatre.

Courtyard Theatre

Larger drama theatres

Larger drama theatres seat audiences in the range of 300 to 900, with an upper limit of about 1,100. Larger drama theatres are usually some variant of the proscenium form. However, some feature a thrust or open stage. a. Proscenium theatre In a proscenium theatre, the stage is located at one end of the auditorium and is physically separated from the audience space by a proscenium wall. This is sometimes called a “twobox” arrangement —the auditorium and stage occupy two separate “boxes” or rooms. The stage box (stage house) provides fly space and wings and permits a wide variety of scenic and lighting effects. The auditorium box is the audience chamber, which may take many forms—fan-shaped, courtyard, lyric, etc. The opening between the auditorium and stage is called the proscenium frame, proscenium opening, proscenium arch, or simply the proscenium. In its earliest forms, the heart of the proscenium theatre was the forestage in front of the proscenium. It wasn’t until the middle part of the nineteenth century that performers were confined with the scenery behind the proscenium arch. Contemporary proscenium theatres try to provide a flexible transition zone between stage and audience, adaptable to suit the needs of each performance. The phrase ‘breaking the proscenium’ refers to when the actors addresses the audience directly as a part of dramatic production. This term also refers to when the member of the cast or crew walks onto the stage and into the house when there is the audience inside. It affords maximum confrontation of performers and audience and is best for lectures, concert singers, recitation and drama presentation. it establishes a limited orientation of performers to audience. The audience being in one compact group with narrow horizontal angle, the performers can relate their action to the whole audience simultaneously. It creates a limited pictorial frame. Scenery can be applied in composition and the dramatic actions performed are maximally perceptible.

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Proscenium Theatre

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It is the form most conductive to the productive to the total uniform effects. It is limited in seating capacity because the principal direction of expansion is away from the performance, good seeing becomes limitation for expansion. In essence it is not an intimate theatre shape, since the audience and the actors are each in separate. b. Thrust and open stage Some larger drama theatres take the form of a thrust stage, with the audience surrounding three sides of the performance platform. The term open stage can be used interchangeably with thrust, but implies a more frontal arrangement. These and similar forms can accommodate a high seat count within an acceptable distance to the stage. Audience balconies can increase the intimacy of the room.

Thrust and Open Stage

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Spaces for acoustic (unamplified) music Concert and recital halls are theatres for the performance of music. The requirements of acoustic (non-amplified) music determine the volume, shape, and even the architectural detailing of the hall. At the same time, the hall must support the visual presentation of the performance and provide an intimate patron experience. A universal characteristic of these buildings is that performers and audience share the same space—there is no architectural separation between stage and auditorium. Today, concert halls aren’t used exclusively for acoustic music. A new hall must have enough flexibility to allow other uses, like popular (amplified) and ethnic music, dance, lectures, meetings, and film presentations. a. Recital hall A space designed for soloists and small ensembles (up to chamber orchestra size), with a seat count typically in the range of 150 to 800. This form is a descendant of the court music rooms of the Renaissance. It is often rectangular in plan, with an open concert platform at one end of the room and seating galleries on the other three walls.

b. Concert hall A space designed primarily for symphonic music, with a seat count typically in the range of 1,100 to 2,000. The upper limit for a successfully intimate room is about 2,200 seats.  Shoebox concert hall The classic concert hall form is the shoebox, named after the rectangular shape and approximate proportions of a tennis-shoe box. The shoebox form has high volume, limited width, and multiple audience levels, usually with relatively narrow side seating ledges.  Vineyard concert hall

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Shoebox Concert Hall

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Some modern concert halls have audience seating in terraces reminiscent of a vineyard. The seating may completely or partially encircle the concert platform. An important early example of the vineyard form is the Berlin Philharmonie. A hall with partial encirclement may be called a modified vineyard. The Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles is a contemporary example of this form. Vineyard Concert Hall

Spaces for dance Smaller, 100 to 300-seat spaces designed for dance are usually end stage or proscenium. The design of the auditorium emphasizes frontal sightlines and a clear view of the stage floor. Sometimes the seating is on telescopic risers that can be retracted to allow the whole space to be used for rehearsal or instruction.

Spaces for multiple uses Almost every theatre will be put to many uses, but here we discuss two particular types of multiuse theatres, the multipurpose theatre and the multiform theatre. a. Multipurpose theatre The contemporary multipurpose theatre is designed to accommodate a range of activity—symphonic music, opera, musical theatre, ballet, and touring productions. Seat count is in the range of 1,200 to 2,400 with an upper limit of about 2,800 seats. The auditorium form is heavily influenced by the acoustic requirements for symphony, while the stage house is designed to meet the needs of opera and musicals. These rooms are designed with the ability to change configurations (especially in the forestage area) and to adjust the room acoustics to the needs of each performance type.

Multipurpose Theatre

b. Multiform theatre: A multiform theatre can be reconfigured to change the actor-audience relationship and the seat count. By moving large architectural elements, the one-room form of the concert hall can be transformed into a two-room theatre—an auditorium and stage with a proscenium. Side wall seating towers can be positioned to narrow the room, or otherwise change its [069-BAE-236]

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proportion. Often the orchestra (stalls) floor can be leveled and the seats removed to create a large, flexible flat floor area. (Many of the theatre forms described here can be designed with this flat floor capability. It was a common feature of eighteenth and nineteenth century opera houses. Multiform Theatre

Spaces for entertainment Venues for popular entertainment can take many forms. It can be mainly classified into two categories. They are the multiuse commercial theatre and the showroom.

a. Multiuse commercial theatre - a “Broadway theatre” form This is a proscenium theatre designed primarily for amplified sound. The room acoustics are usually “dry” with little adjustment available, making these rooms unsuitable for un-amplified acoustic music. Seat count is in the range of 1,200 to 2,500 seats with an upper limit of 10,000 seats. A reasonable degree of intimacy can be achieved with multiple cantilevered balconies, bringing a large portion of the audience as close to the stage as possible. The stage is usually sized and equipped to receive large scale touring musicals. Other uses are headliners, pop music performances, and award Multiuse Commercial ceremonies. Theatre b. Showroom The term showroom usually implies an entertainment venue connected with a casino, hotel, or resort. A showroom may be designed to accommodate variety or headliner acts, or it may be purpose-built for a specific production, such as a circus show, that will reside in the space for years or even decades. A smaller room may seat only 600, but seat count is more often in the range of 1,200 to 4,000 seats. The theatre may take the form of a proscenium, thrust, or arena stage. Showrooms may introduce elaborate stage machinery, including “water stages” and other specialty mechanics.

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Showroom

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Amphitheatre Originally Greek, later adapted slightly by Romans is still occasionally reproduced. They were built on huge scale in Greek with 20,000 seats and is still in use. The term originated to describe a Roman open-aired building with tiered seats, generally oval in shape used for staging gladiator contests, wild beast shows, or mock sea battles. Amphitheatre are appropriate for large scale productions. There is an awesome grandeur about such theatres which could match the chosen production. The plays full of ceremony and movement would be suitable for Amphitheatre rather than the ones that require intimacy and naturalistic quality.

Amphitheatre

Study of space within a Theatre School Appropriate space, shape and size of the interior as well as exterior environment are required to be clarified before functioning of the theatre school. Spaces can’t be designed as in a general learning institution so each specified space has to be positioned carefully. Size of the spaces will depend upon the number of students and the teacher involved. Teaching Areas Drama studio Drama studio is required for teaching acting skills and techniques and sometimes also used for rehearsing plays. The clear play area of 100m3 is required. There should be some space for the seating arrangement as well. The studio should be flexible in nature which means arrangements of learning space and seating space can be changed according to the requirement of the performance. Dance studio The floor of the dance studio shouldn’t be slippery and should not be too hard. It should have wall mirrors of minimum 2m high along at least one wall. The mirrors should have a drapery controlled by chord pull. Ballet bars should be installed on wall of the room at ascending heights of 1m, 1,15m and 1.2m. The walls and ceilings should be treated acoustically and provision of movable sound system is desirable. Music studio In music studio students are taught vocal lessons. A provision for piano is desirable to teach the students tunes of different instruments. For teaching classical tunes basically a bare room with raised platform for the teacher to sot and play harmonium and space for students to sit [069-BAE-236]

PERFORMING ART CENTRE

around is required and a sound system being a must. Marker boards and seating arrangements with desk and chair for individual vocal practice should be done for teaching music theory. Store room for storing musical instruments, room for vocal practice with provision for sound system is required. Acoustical treatment should be done in all rooms. Movement and Yoga Studio In this studio students are taught the different western and eastern postures which are important for the theatre artists. Yoga assists in healing holistically at physical, emotional and spiritual levels. Generally, a peaceful environment with fresh air and connection with nature is required for the teaching of yoga and movement. Workshop areas Workshop areas for wardrobe for teaching and preparing costumes for students as well as for the drama production, scenic workshop, prop studio (Art and Craft studio), Lighting Studio, Makeup studio, etc. should be provided of appropriate sizes.

CASE STUDIES 1. Rastriya Nach Ghar General Information Selection Criteria: Location: Orientation: Site context: Capacity: Front part: Inner Part: BasementGF1F2F3FTop floor-

Planning

National level building of Nepal and study auditorium requirements Jamal, Kathmandu East commercial zone 750 Commercial Theatre parking, electrical, mechanical room Shopping and green space Hall & Foyer Balcony hall & office Office technical space (above ceiling)

 Auditorium away from noisy road  Foyer as buffer Space

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 Construction technology: frame structure, cavity wall & multilayer roof with metal truss  Arch style: Neo traditional, Exposed Brick, slope roof tile  Material Brick, Tile, RCC, CGI sheet, Parquet, Vinyl tile, Velvet curtain, bamboo ply, teak ply, planks, acoustic ceiling, POP

Space organization in theatre 3 Parts  Entrance, ticket counter, foyer etc  Auditorium  Stage: Front stage, back stage, wings, green room, rehearsal room Other Spaces      

Technical space Projection room WC Stair, ramp, lift Open courtyard (Dabali) Gallery

Circulation in theatre  Pedestrian entrance, Vehicle entrance, VIP entrance  Ticket Counter in entrance  Exit directly to open air & fire Escape metal stair from Hall  Foyer with WC, smoking area, waiting seats etc.

Acoustic design for auditorium hall Shape & Size  Main Hall with 600 seats  Balcony with 150 seats  Approx maximum length is 24m with Orchestra pit  The shape is such that view and audibility is better  Cyclorama- flex Screen on the back of stage  Projection room back of balcony  The length of the hall = 24m approx.  The breadth of the hall = 19m  The height of the hall =10.82m  The shape of hall is fan shape