Theatre Design & Technology - Winter 1977 - 19

technology - and again the lack of manpower - makes
major alterations necessary. Many old theatres have a
large stage, sometimes with a fly-tower, sometimes without. More than in case of the auditorium, we have to
choose between constructing a theatre museum or a useful theatre. And so we are sometimes forced to change
the stage drasticaliy or even to replace it totally.
THE PROSCENIUM OPENING
It is not true that the proscenium opening should or
could have been made wider (an assertion I have heard
here and there): it is the horseshoe-shaped theatres with
proscenium arches that prevent the audience sitting at
the sides from a comprehensive view of the entire acting
area. Making the opening wider would give the spectators
sitting in the boxes a better view, but the space-effect
(ovals) would have disappeared. Besides their being
functional, the arches are important because of their
design, which cannot be imitated or changed easily for
the simple reason that we do not have the skills for it.
In many theatres the most attractive side boxes have
been found in these proscenium arches, giving the idea
of being a part of the stage.
THE ROOMS IN FRONT OF AND SURROUNDING
THE AUDITORIUM
We should keep these well matched with the auditorium, whatever else we may change. Approaching the
auditorium there should be no contrasts. Furthermore,
we should try to make the building more comprehensible, so that the visitor - whether consciously or not knows where he has been, where he is, and where he is
going. To me it seems necessary to strive for clarity,
and if a theatre is not comprehensible then we must have
courage to change it drastically. (For that matter we may
conclude that many so-called modern theatres have to be
changed: wandering away from fu nctional ism, arch itects
nowadays often forget that although the building is complicated, the floor plans have to be clear and perceptible.
As to that, we might do well to use the symmetrical theatres of the last century as examples.
EXTERNAL ASPECT
It is possible that a theatre is important as being a
feature of the town: this can be a motive for restoration.
However, mostly it is because we are used to the silhouette more than we are to the structure's beauty:
often a theatre building of the 18th or 19th century
was noted more for its particularity than for its beauty.
Yet, restoration can also mean renovation: if we partly
restore the old theatre and partly renovate it, we can use
the building for many more purposes besides drama.
Posing su b II: because we are used to the building
as being a feature of the town, I want to state that we are
often afraid of the effect of new creations on the image
of the town; that we fear architects who are building a
new theatre in an old setting, because we rarely find
good examples. When the building has reserve space which
can be used, we have to take advantage of that, because
in our days we are only allowed to build what is really
needed. Reserves of space, high rooms, rooms that are
not directly useful, are absolutely taboo for the architect,

USITT

since functionalism and economic "science" have generated the fundamental concept of that functionalism,
specifically: build only what is necessary and do not
think of the future. Old buildings were constructed
with totally different ideas, and therefore we sometimes
find surprising possibilities. These large buildings sometimes have a great amount of extra space which has possibilities for the construction of small auditoria, minitheatres, cinemas, shops, exhibition room, etc.
If there are important decorations in the building,
then we shall restore them. Yet, the historian (for instance the State service for the preservation of historical
monuments often overemphasizes these features, without judging the value of the space in itself.
As an example, let me describe the restoration of the
oldest Dutch theatre, the theatre in Leiden.
It is significant that there are no theatres left in HoIland older than this one. The theatre in Leiden was originally built in 1705 and rebuilt many times afterwards.
In 1809, a better stage-house was constructed. In 1965,
the main rebuilding took place which gave the theatre
its present day form.
The interest of a small group of devotees and specialists in this theatre finally provoked a response in the Sixties. This group was lead by Wil Vesseur, scene designer
and theatre specialist, who unfortunately died in 1976.
Ever since World War II he had pleaded for more attention to this little theatre. Thanks to him the building has
been saved.
If a community does not make sacrifices for the salvation of a theatre, then the theatre may be lost. But if
the community does respond the salvation must not
happen at the cost of not developing new possibilities so that the community has to make extra sacrifices.
In particular, if a community gets a restored theatre
for its use, another possibility can be to give experimental
theatre a certain freedom of action. Otherwise the restored theatre will irrevocably be a drag on efficacy.
In large cities this is less of a problem than in the small
ones.
Leiden began to make plans for the renovation of this
theatre in 1969. I was chosen to be the architect charged
with the renovation plans for the architectural cloister
(an old convent) that lies around the theatre and in which
the Leiden Adult Education Centre and the recreation
centre K. en O. was to be sited (Figure 2.). (Leiden, one
of the poorest municipalities in Holland. was in former
times, one of the richest cities in Western Europe. Today
it has 100,000 inhabitants of whom 13,000 are members
of the Adult Education Centre. This, too, is the highest
figure in Holland!. When I was charged with the restoration of the theatre, it opened new perspectives: Here was
the opportunity to create a "cultural centre" in an old
and poor district of Leiden. All the motives, except
Point II. 4 (lack of courage to create a modeTn development), more or less apply to Leiden.
The Leiden theatre started as a narrow, but quite deep,
theatre constructed in 1705. The secondary functions
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THEATRE DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

WINTER. 1977

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