Theatre Design & Technology - May 1967 - 31

Is the relatively complete restoration of the Semperdesigned opera house of decisive importance insofar as the world fame of Dresden is concerned and,
particularly, its great tradition as a music center]

Question One:
Gottfried Semper, architect of the Dresden Opera, was the
foremost German theatre architect of the 19th Century.
Due in part to his political liberalism, he was exiled from
Germany after the failure of the freedom movement in the
revolution of 1848. As a result the Dresden Opera is one
of the few examples of his work remaining in Germany.
Dresden, once one of the most beautiful cities of the world
because of its architecture and its location on the Elbe,
could restore one of the essential areas still remaining after
its fateful World War II destruction. The Zwinger Museum
and the related terrace and theatre area offer the possibility
of restoring that quality of the past which no amount of
modern design could recapture in terms of historic and
aesthetic considerations, not to mention the economic advantages embodied in future tourism from abroad.
The quest,on as to whether or not the opera buildlllg itself
is so historically and aesthetically valuable is answered with
a decided affirmative. From the standpoint of the characteristic and beautiful silhouette, largely horizontal but with
strik ing vertical interpositions, the opera graces the design
with a satisfying completion (Fig. 1). The world-famous contributions to this complex include Bahr's Frauenkirche, the
Chiaveri Hofkirche with its 300-foot slender tower, the
Semper Museum and the opera itself, particularly characteristic of the Dresden skyline.
To the question focussing on historical and aesthetic, i.e.
architectural and civic-beauty functions, the preservation of
Semper's Opera is without doubt a desirable solution.
Question Two:
The site of the opera is still highly desirable: near centers
of traffic (between the two main railway stationsl, but not
in the traffic (quietI; beautifully located by the Elbe and
near the legitimate theatre (an advantageous interrelation of
function) .
Question Three:
Plans herewith are limited to a thorough evaluation and do
not include a possible design for restoration. The house size
is of central concern. Its function and architectural reembodiment must be possible by today standards. It is
possible to restore the following: the remaining outer corridor, stairhousing access to upper tiers and the precious
stone facades. However, the house itself is gone entirely
and must be replaced.
The following requirements of a modern auditorium are used
as a base for the evaluation.
1.

Separation

pedestrian and automobile traffic.

Functional location of the box office.

Aisles, stairs, and exits wide enough and so obstruction-free as to insure emptying the theatre at
any outbreak of panic.

Sufficiently large cloakroom facilities.

Adequate foyers and concourse areas for the audience during intermissions.

Suitable auditorium size.

Good sightlines from all locations.

Good acoustics.

THEATRE DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY

Favorable incorporation of all technical facilities
necessary for production, particularly stagelighting.

The above abstract standards were objectively posed before
the study was begun.
(1) The provision by Semper of lateral access to the house
is a model solution to the 1st standard Figs. 2 and 31.
(21 The arrangement of the box office below the auditorium, like that of the theatre, needs no revision.
(3\, (4), (5), (al Inner stairways not only fail to meet
building requirements but also spoil the view from the outside. (b) In case of panic, the narrow corridors leading to
side stairs might be overrun by the entire crowd on the
ground floor and as a result the many exits from the box
office area not only do not function as such but their escape routes overlap and are confusing, even though there
are enough exits. (cl The cloakroom facilities are not only
scattered, they are often in the mainstream of movement.
In a panic the press of the crowd to save precious garments
would have culminated in disaster. (dl Essentially the foyer
and lounges are more favorably located, but the corridors
always were much too small. The foyer with the connected
stairways, interesting and beautiful, is in contrast therefore,
a single, aesthetically appealing facility, worth saving.
(6\ The original size of the auditorium, 1712 capacity,
should probably be reduced at least 550 to 600 seats because of the steepness of the fourth (3181 and fifth (200)
tiers and their inconvenience and poor sightlines, a factor
which also condemns the proscenium boxes and those in
the side area near the stage. Furthermore, the use of so
many tiers is nowadays avowedly unpopular despite the fact
that sightlines in an opera do not have the same meaning
as in a legitimate theatre. While the Semper auditorium
was one of the most beautiful in the world and therefore
worth restoring despite drawbacks, that issue is not In question. Required at this time is the determination whether or
not the functional demands on a theatre can be combined
with preservation of the architectural appearance of the
Semper structure.
(7) While 1500 to 1600 spectators could nowadays be
accommodated in the Dresden Opera house, excellent sightlines should be a necessary precondition. Furthermore, since
the house was not always filled even in "good times,"
and decidedly not so in difficult economic circumstances
(which shall first be encountered), its size should be dete,mllled in the light of the depressing effects of a somewhat empty house on both performers and public.

(8\ Volume is a decisive factor in the aCOUSllCS of enclosures. The singer particularly is concerned whether or
not the capacity of his voice is sufficient to muster command of the house. Although the volume of the Semper
structure was still favorable even though I t was on the edge
of acceptability, the size of the house and the seating
capacity must be reduced until the problem of sound amplification through loud speakers is completely resolved. As it
is, the dependence of acoustics on the shape of the room
as related to Isolated elements and on the related constructlOIi lIlaterials IllUSt a ait a proposal vvhlch will speCify both
characteristics. In Illodern theatres a serious problem arises
from the failure to absorb side wall reflection of sound.
Not the least influence on the good acoustics in the Semper house was such absorption capacity in the forward
thrust and close alignment of the stacked tiers.
(9\ The inclusion of all technical facilities necessary in the
house was not, as related to lighting, easy to fulfill in the
old house. On principle, light beams should not be permitted to criss-cross the spectator's lines of vision, nor
should they strike the stage at too steep an angle. Built

MAY 1967

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