Volksbühne Berlin
Conversion Theater Volksbühne Berlin,
Renewal of air handling system and seating arrangement.
We were invited to be part of a team involved in the refurbishment of a listed theatre building, the Volksbühne Berlin, one of Berlin’s largest and most interesting performance spaces.
The Volksbühne theatre was designed by Oskar Kaufmann and built between 1913-14. It was badly damaged during the Second World War, and was renovated by the DDR architect Hans Richter. Much was altered including the original layout of the main auditorium.
The need to comply with modern fire regulation and ventilation requirements meant that the auditorium had to be changed again, giving us the opportunity to re-think the layout. The seating is curved and the slope has been changed, allowing for the best views of the stage and creating a more involved and enclosed atmosphere for the audience. It is slightly steeper than then in other traditional theatres allowing a close interaction between the spectator and the actors.
The new steps and curved platforms were carefully fitted to line up with the wall panelling. Although partly restored after the war it is still similar to the original wall decorations. In accordance with the general special atmosphere of the building as a whole the new spectator seating has been well accepted by the audience and by the art and theatre directors.
The project was completed in 2009
for AGP Architects Wolfgang Meier with Hans Reers www.architekten-agp.de
Photographs by Felix Odell
Volksbühne Berlin