Backstage: Reimagining Theater as an Open Cultural Infrastructure in the Contemporary City | Bachelors Design Thesis

Site Context

When selecting a site, the author sought a place with an inherent theatrical quality. At the intersection of Glinishchevsky Lane and Tverskaya Street, they discovered scaffolding resembling a theatre’s fly gallery—balconies used for managing stage scenery—and chose to preserve this element in the project.

The site possesses a rich history. The building at 10 Tverskaya Street, constructed in 1837 and known as «Filippov’s Bakery», is currently in a deplorable condition. It has been excluded from urban life since 2008, when scaffolding was erected for a reconstruction that was never initiated.

The project reactivates this courtyard by introducing a multifunctional structure. The historical facade is preserved as a scenic backdrop and integrated into a broader composition of theatrical elements.

Design Process

British director Peter Brook, in his book The Empty Space, wrote: “I can take any empty space and call it a bare stage. A man walks across this empty space whilst someone else is watching him, and this is all that is needed for an act of theatre to be engaged.” In the author’s view, this statement captures the essence of theatre: it is not a building, but a shared presence and a collective experience.

In the same book, Brook identifies four types of theatre: the Deadly Theatre, which is formal and lacking sincerity; the Holy Theatre, which is sacred and ritualistic; the Rough Theatre, which is folk-like, street-based, and grotesque; and the Immediate Theatre, which emerges through genuine contact between actor and spectator.

In this project, the author set out to create a Living Theatre—an open structure capable of engaging both spectators and citizens in the theatrical action.

The project employs a language of archetypal theatrical elements, including portals, balconies, wings, amphitheaters, working galleries, chandeliers, and spotlights. Some of these elements, such as the arch-portal and the puppet theatre, extend beyond the main site, theatricalizing the surrounding urban block.

Final Outcome

The complex’s inner courtyard is conceived as a single, expansive stage. A continuous range of events takes place here, from intimate readings and performances to large-scale installations. The theatrical energy generated within this space extends beyond the site’s boundaries, transforming the entire block into a stage. In this sense, the amphitheatre and the simultaneous stages in the park opposite function as extensions of the complex’s theatrical structure.

The scaffolding is envisioned as a vibrant, inhabited environment where everyday life and celebration become indistinguishable. It accommodates a wide spectrum of activities: walking, dancing, watching performances, communal dining, weddings, and even funerals. As such, it emerges as a central meeting point, animated by constant social interaction.

At once a street theatre, a collective living room, and an open-air restaurant, the scaffolding supports multiple uses simultaneously. Its multi-level organization allows different events to unfold at the same time, transforming a simple structural framework into a dynamic and layered public space.

Conclusion: Ultimately, the project redefines theatre as a living urban condition, transforming a neglected site into a dynamic stage. Blending history with adaptable structures, it dissolves boundaries between performance and daily life, turning the city into a shared theatrical experience.

[This Academic Project has been published with text and images submitted by the student]