Theatre Design & Technology - Spring 1984 - 26

Theatre Architecture

PQ83
by James R. Earle, Jr.

Author's Note: This article IS Intended as an overview of the PQ83 architectural exhibit and an attempt to explain several of the problems associated
with that exhibit. A lack of available
information both on the displays and in
the catalog makes it difficult, if not impossible, to go into detail with regard to
any of the hundreds of theatre facilities
exhibited.
Most people associate the Prague
Quadrennial only with exhibitions of
scenic and costume design. PQ83, however, was much more than a scenographic exhibition. Filling nearly as
much space as the international scenography and costume design exhibits, the
Theatre Architecture section was filled
with illustrative panels and models for
architectural projects from fourteen
countries: Belgium, Canada, Czechoslovakia, Federal Republic of Germany,
Finland, France, German Democratic
Republic, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, USA, and
USSR. I Also, the results of an OISTT
competition for the design of "touring
theatres" were displayed throughout
the hall.
The National Architecture Exhibits
There was a wide variety within the
national exhibits of theatre architecture
ranging from a multi-level exhibit by
the USSR-the largest exhibit in the
hall-to relatively small exhibits from
countries such as Canada. It should be
noted that the physical size of the exhibits held little relationship to the quality of the overall presentation.
One of the more exciting exhibits
was that of the Italians which featured
the restoration of hislOric theatres in
the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy. A three-dimensional map of
24

the region located the various theatres
and large, full-color panels provided
photographs of the interiors. There was
a need for some further supporting materials such as vertical sections or plan
views for each theatre. However, a few
fortunate early visitors to this exhibit
were presented with a 248-page book
that served as both an invaluable aid to
understanding the exhibit and a wellillustrated guide to all of the historic theatres in the Emilia-Romagna region. 2
The Italian-style baroque theatres
shown in this display were indeed gems
and anyone interested in the history of
theatre buildings should be aware of the
work done by Simonetta M. Bondoni in
surveying and documenting this style of
theatre architecture. The Italian exhibit
won the Silver Medal for Architecture
with no mention of an individual, but
with credit to the restoration project.
The French also won a Silver Medal
for Architecture with specific mention
made of the work of Bernard Guillaumot. Eleven of Guillaumot's theatre
projects were shown including plants in
Villeurbanne, Vitry, Bordeaux, Marseilles, Rouen and Paris. The projects
shown represented a ten-year period of
work for this architect and had as its
primary focus relatively large spaces
created for a variety of purposes. Five
other French architects were also shown,
but the obvious focus of the exhibit was
on Guillaumot. The French are to be
complimented for their use of large-scale
color photographs, plans that could
be read, and several well-constructed
models.
It would be difficult and inappropriate to omit the Czechoslovak exhibit as
it was both a large and a well-prepared
display. The most interesting project in
their exhibit was the new workshop/
studio home of the Larerna Magika that
will be a technologically flexible theatre
that "does not have walls or a stage

Theatre Design & Technology/ USITT /Spring t984

frame, only the stage and the audience
Five project designers were involved
this unique plant including Professl
Josef Svoboda.
Another exciting plant was beiI
constructed in Prague-the New Sta:
of the National Theatre, Karel Prag~
architect, opened in November 198
This multi-form plant (flexible to pr
vide such audience/stage configur
tions as proscenium, Elizabethan, ar
arena) is housed in a unique shell I
hand-blown glass blocks/tiles and h
a 410 to 578 seating capacity. This pIa
will provide opport unities for stagiI
different types of theatrical genres, i
cluding performances by Laterna Ma
ika, and includes equipment for bo
transformation of the form and mov
ment of scenery in this very speci
theatre.
The Gold Medal for Architectu
went to Pentti Piha of Finland for r
1981 "Intimate Theatre" in Helsin~
The exhibit from Finland contained sta
dard panels that were well-illustratl
with black-and-white photographs al
line drawings. While the exhibit w
not large, nor was it packaged in
"slick" manner, it did contain SOil
very interesting designs and very cle
presentations of those projects.
It was more than disappointing th
the best the U.S. could manage to sel
to Prague was a series of panel enlarg
ments from George Izenour's book Th
atre Design. These black-and-white li
drawings are familiar 10 anyone wi
has seen the Izenour book and are u
questionably works of art unto thel
selves. However, it is questionable wi
they would be considered as an exhil
of American theatre architecture wh,
in fact many of the plants shown we
not U.S. facilities nor designed by U.
archilects. One must credit the U.S. I
formation Agency for its effort to pI'
vide some representation for the U.S.

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Theatre Design & Technology - Spring 1984