The former Pniël Church in Amsterdam, also known locally as “the tea light”, is a very characteristic building by architect Boeyinga. In 2000 O III was asked by the Foundation Kristal to make a design to accommodate the multi-cultural stage Mozaïek in this building. The sober and serene character of the existing structure made a cautious approach necessary. The wish to leave as much of the building intact, yet at the same time to conform to the demands of a modern theatre in optima forma asked for great ingenuity of the design team. Apart from auditorium and stage, the program asked for several studios, dressing rooms and a restaurant and foyer.
By creating a floor at the height of the original balconies in the church space a theatre of good proportions and with lots of possible uses was made. The space thus created underneath the theatre floor is designated for the foyer and rehearsal studios. The rest of the program is located in the surrounding rooms. In the interior the original constructions remain visible as possible. Also, the characteristic glass building blocks, allowing the interior light to radiate to the outside, have been left intact (and supplemented with similar elements), making the building still deserving of the nickname “the tea light”.
