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PERFORMING PUBLICS

Blending performance with public life to enrich dynamic interactions

2nd Year Semester 2 Project

COMBINING COMMUNITY AND CREATIVITY

"PERFORMING PUBLICS" in St. Louis is a contemporary beacon of arts and community integration. This four-story performing arts center harnesses natural light and maintains privacy through its innovative use of a louvered system on the upper facade. Angled wooden panels selectively filter daylight into the building while protecting the interior from direct sightlines. At its heart, the design fosters communal interaction with a sprawling atrium that connects the upper floors, excluding the basement. The ground floor is dedicated to a flexible black box theater, which complements the cafe and diverse artistic spaces located on the second and third floors. These areas are specifically designed to encourage a variety of artistic expressions and public engagement. In the basement, functional spaces such as a theater workshop, dressing rooms, and administrative offices support the logistical needs of the facility. By blending performance spaces with communal areas, "PERFORMING PUBLICS" not only enriches the cultural landscape of St. Louis but also serves as a dynamic platform for fostering community interaction and artistic collaboration.

FORMAL DEVELOPMENT

Influenced by the cultural and social dynamics of St. Louis, the initial design concept began with an analysis of local community interactions, identifying visible divides among different groups. This observation was translated into the building’s central feature—a significant void serving as a communal atrium that promotes interaction across different levels. The form of the building evolved through iterative design stages, the space not only served artistic purposes but also facilitated broader social connections.

PUBLIC INTERFACES

The elevations illustrate the building's engagement with its urban surroundings and its approach to blending indoor and outdoor spaces. The louvered wooden panels on the upper floors play a crucial role in modulating light and maintaining privacy while providing a dynamic façade that changes appearance with the sun's movement. This show how the building's external shell not only responds to functional requirements of light and sight but also reflects the layered access to public and semi-private spaces within.

West Elevation

South Elevation

SPATIAL ORGANIZATION

Integration of functional, artistic, and social zones within the structure. Starting from the basement, designed for operational efficiency with a theater workshop, greenroom with stage access, dressing rooms, and administrative offices, each space supports the building's logistical needs. Ascending to the ground floor, a versatile black box theater acts as the cultural gateway, adaptable for a range of performances and enhancing community engagement. The second floor features a public cafe strategically located to foster social interactions, overlooking the atrium and the theater below, creating a vibrant communal atmosphere. The third floor is dedicated to various performance rooms tailored for specific artistic practices, encouraging interdisciplinary collaboration among artists. Reflecting the internal activities, the building’s exterior is thoughtfully designed—open and inviting where public interaction is encouraged, and more enclosed where privacy is paramount. This careful design extends to the upper facade's louver-like wooden panels, which modulate light and maintain privacy while integrating into the urban fabric of St. Louis. The diagram not only highlights the functional and aesthetic considerations of each floor but also showcases how the building presents itself to the city, inviting the community to engage with its artistic offerings and emphasizing its role as a dynamic cultural hub.
 

ILLUMINATION AND INTERACTION

The sectional view of "PERFORMING PUBLICS" illustrates how the building harnesses natural light to enhance both the functionality and aesthetics of the interior spaces. This cut-through perspective reveals the strategic use of light creating a luminous environment that shifts subtly throughout the day. The diagram captures various groups of people engaging within these well-lit spaces—artists rehearsing in the performance rooms, visitors mingling in the cafe, and audiences gathering before the theater. Each level is designed not only to fulfill its specific function but also to encourage spontaneous interactions among its users. The atrium, visible in the section, acts as the building's atery, facilitating vertical and horizontal visual connections across floors and enhancing the sense of community within the building. This interaction between light and architecture not only makes "PERFORMING PUBLICS" a vibrant place for cultural exchange but also demonstrates the building’s role as a living entity within the urban landscape of St. Louis, fostering connectivity and creativity among its occupants.

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