A NEW THEATRE AT AN ALTITUDE OF 2300 METERS SWISS BUNDESRAT ALAIN BERSET, AND STAR DANCER SERGEI POLUNIN OPEN ORIGENS THEATRE TOWER ON THE JULIERPASS Switzerland has a new theatre. The Origen Festival Cultural has built a new tower on the Julierpass at an altitude of 2300 meters. The tower, whose height allows for vertical exposition, opens up to the landscape—with performances at dusk during all seasons. The theatre evokes the tower of Babel, a reference to the richness of language in a region that has suffered migration and yearns for new perspectives. The first performances will take place on the 31st of July—fragments of the opera „Apocalypse“ will be performed and a new solo piece by Sergei Polunin will be presented. The Swiss Bundesrat and culture minister Alain Berset will inaugurate the theatre with a speech celebrating the national holiday of Switzerland.
The Festival Origen, led by the Reinhart-Ring laureate Giovanni Netzer, was founded in 2005. The name Origen is Rhaeto-Romanic and means genesis, origin, and creation. Accordingly, the program of the festival is a commitment to the cultural power of a trilingual region which thrives on cultural exchange.
A historical location The Julierpass is one of the most important Alpine traverses and has been used for centuries. The Romans built a pass sanctuary, in medieval times a St. Sebastian’s chapel was built, and later the army built a fort on this landscape. The theatre tower sets new standards for theatre architecture and is a counter-project to the closed theatre buildings in the cities.
Dialogue between Nature and Culture The Juliertheatre will be used during all four seasons, and allows a direct dialogue between the performances and the landscape. Performances begin as daylight ends, according to the season. The sunset replaces the theatre spotlights. The seasons influence the performed themes. The theatre tower on the pass combines nature and culture in a unique way.
Total cost of three million Swiss francs The Juliertower was built out of 1220 pieces. 24,400 screws hold the building together. The wooden tower can withstand wind forces of up to 240 km/h and dry avalanches. The combined weight of the tower is 410 tons and the construction only took two and a half months. From inception to opening, two million swiss francs have been invested in the tower. For the winter expansion an investment of another million swiss francs is needed.
The power of the ephemeral The Juliertheatre is an ephemeral project that reflects the transience of every living thing. The wooden building emerges and vanishes. In August the shell construction will be used for the first performances, in autumn the winter expansion will be made, and at the end of 2020 the building will be removed and the landscape renatured. The building corresponds to the fleeting art form of the theatre and will live on in the memories of its visitors.
Bundesrat Alain Berset inaugurates the Juliertower On the occasion of the inauguration of the theatre, the politicians Michael Pfäffli, Martin Jäger, and Leo Thoman will greet the guests. Bundesrat Alain Berset will give a speech about the identity and capacity of reform in Switzerland on the eve of the Swiss national holiday.
Star dancer Sergei Polunin performs a new solo The inaugural program provides a wide range of theatrical experiences, from a trilingual opera to an international dance-solo. For the inauguration, fragments of Gion Antoni Derungs opera „Apocalypse“ will be performed, and in conclusion will be the performance of a new solo by the dancer Sergei Polunin, choreographed by Andrey Kaydanovskiy – indicative of the cosmopolitan attitude on the pass.
