Designing a place of events means to take in consideration a series of complex needs, many of them derive from the historical evolution of the space. As a matter of fact, over the centuries, the way of performing and watching performances are evolved and adapted to the new way of expressing the art of representation. The proposal for the Fallen Church aims to offer an innovative approach that is valid both for traditional performances and above all for contemporary experiments that see the active participation of audience in the event.
Traditionally, stage and auditorium have pre-established positions. The stage is a dynamic organism with the ability to change multiple scenes. The auditorium has a static role; the audience enjoys the performance without interacting with the performers. The concept of the project reverses this traditional structure, making the audience and stage as a flexible organism. They blend, divide and disappear according to the necessities.
The enchanting beauty of the Fallen Church, in its current state, could not be compromised. The project idea is in harmony with the genius loci by intervening with a light, flexible and reversible approach, emphasizing the strong relationship established between existing and new. The current structure remains pure and uncontaminated in order to evoke a suggestive and ancestral connection with the church.
“Chiesa Diruta” becomes shell and container of the exhibitions, offering spectators a unique and memorable experience. The project consists of adding a “show machine” that incorporates all the necessary elements for the performance of the shows. It is a functional grid that contains sound and lighting systems and organizes the space through the arrangement of vertical elements such as the curtains and the adjustable seats. A soft and ethereal intervention, in contrast with the material heaviness of the existing. The result achieved is an open and flexible project where the boundaries are not defined, offering a strong relationship with both artificial and natural environment.
