Volksbühne Satellite Theatre
2016 - 2017
Berlin, Germany
900 sqm
Volksbühne Berlin
Kéré Architecture was invited by the artistic directors of the Berlin Volksbühne to design a satellite theatre inside one of the monumental aircraft hangars of Berlin’s Tempelhof airport. The project marked a new chapter in the complex, century-long history of the airport.
The Volksbühne’s intention was to create a space that would reflect the diversity of performances, concerts, exhibitions and discussions it had been developing in collaboration with international artists, directors and choreographers. Kéré Architecture therefore designed a system of telescopic tribunes on wheels that could be reconfigured according to the specific needs of each piece. Above the tribunes, a cylindrical steel structure, also on wheels, creates a canopy in which all of the set, lighting and sound equipment are contained. The structure is draped in a performative façade that can be raised or lowered to control visuals and acoustics as required.
The project aims to foster a new type of theatrical experience, in which the barriers between audiences and artists are literally and metaphorically dismantled, offering a very tangible and direct experience of performance outside the boundaries of a traditional theatre setting.
The Satellite Theatre was designed as a mobile structure: all of its components can be wheeled through the colossal doors of the hangar for open-air performances with panoramic views of Tempelhof grounds as a dramatic backdrop.
For organisational and budgetary reasons, only a reduced version of the original concept was constructed in 2017. The completed ambition remains to be realised, building on the experience acquired from the prototyping phase.
Kéré Architecture was invited by the artistic directors of the Berlin Volksbühne to design a satellite theatre inside one of the monumental aircraft hangars of Berlin’s Tempelhof airport. The project marked a new chapter in the complex, century-long history of the airport.
The Volksbühne’s intention was to create a space that would reflect the diversity of performances, concerts, exhibitions and discussions it had been developing in collaboration with international artists, directors and choreographers. Kéré Architecture therefore designed a system of telescopic tribunes on wheels that could be reconfigured according to the specific needs of each piece. Above the tribunes, a cylindrical steel structure, also on wheels, creates a canopy in which all of the set, lighting and sound equipment are contained. The structure is draped in a performative façade that can be raised or lowered to control visuals and acoustics as required.
The project aims to foster a new type of theatrical experience, in which the barriers between audiences and artists are literally and metaphorically dismantled, offering a very tangible and direct experience of performance outside the boundaries of a traditional theatre setting.
The Satellite Theatre was designed as a mobile structure: all of its components can be wheeled through the colossal doors of the hangar for open-air performances with panoramic views of Tempelhof grounds as a dramatic backdrop.
For organisational and budgetary reasons, only a reduced version of the original concept was constructed in 2017. The completed ambition remains to be realised, building on the experience acquired from the prototyping phase.
