1 Staging Architecture A lb in A ld én Design of a theatre complex through conversion and additions to an existant church Chalmers Institute of Technology Master’s thesis 2022 Matter, Space, Structure Supervisor: Naima Callenberg Examiner: Daniel Norell 2 Staging Architecture Design of a theatre complex through conversion and additions to an existant church Albin Aldén Spring 2022 Master’s Thesis in Architecture Chalmers University of Technology Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering Master’s Programme of Architecture and Urban Design (MPARC) Supervisor: Naima Callenberg Examiner: Daniel Norell 3 Abstract Discourse and introduction Churches in context Aldo Rossi’s theory Staging context: Teatro del Mondo Methodological notes on staging, analogy and exalted rationalism Thesis question Background The situation of the church of Sweden The “found” theatre space Initial studies Choosing a church and auditorium type Ceremonial and profane space: typological study Gothenburg churches; a mapping A meeting of typologies: workshop Mariakyrkan Concept and staged context History of the site Church transformation practices before the 20th century Choir screens Proposal Discussion Bibliography About me 6 8 18 20 24 34 38 50 64 66 70 4 5 6 Abstract 7 This is a transformation project for the use of a church as both church and theatre. The backstage area and the foyer of the theatre are additions to the church, which itself is used as a more or less ready-made auditorium, with some relatively minor adjustments, thus retaining its usability as a church. The project employs a methodology of staging that draws from the context, which is understood in a very wide sense. It includes the city, the specific church and its history as well as the history of the site and of churches in general. I discuss the future of the churches of Sweden in relation to the theories of Italian architect Aldo Rossi, emphasizing the need for transformation as well as preservation. I propose that churches can be transformed today in continuity with how they’ve historically been transformed, thus preserving a tradition of transformation as opposed to conserving them in their current state. Transformation and multi-purposing of churches becomes a way to preserve them for religious ceremonies. Very few churches are used at full capacity, but almost all of them have at least a small group of devoted members. In terms of property management, this implies that surplus churches need not be sold and completely rebuilt but could be partly rented out. This is the commission that is simulated in the project, one that I would anticipate to become more common than complete sale and reuse of churches for profane purposes only. Architectural practice is understood as the synthesis of a complex and contradictory reality. This project seeks a synthesis between demands of heritage preservation, religious practice and theatre production, convinced that they together can generate a whole that is richer and more culturally relevant than its component parts. Keywords transformation theatre church context Rossi staging history 86 Radera inför 90% om tid inte finns att ordna modellfoton 97 This is a transformation project for the use of a church as both church and theatre. One starting point for this thesis is the situa- tion of many of the churches of Sweden. More than any other swed- ish building type, they seem to evoke history. Often some of the oldest buildings on their sites, they have for a long time defined the development of their context - up to a point where the context seem to have developed in another direction, leaving the church behind. They seem to speak to us of another time and another city, as if they imply a context different from the existing one. At the same time, we should keep in mind something that Faulk- ner has summarized in an often quoted poem: “The past is never dead. It’s not even past”. What I mean to say is that even though churches seldom seem to be treated as architectural assets that can give pointers for future development, they cannot be ignored. They continue to effect the development around them, if only as obstacles for modern infrastructure. And while few churches are used at full capacity, almost all of them have at least a small group of devoted members who love their church. Introduction Rossi (1982), p 57-61. Aldo Rossi’s theory Churches in context In this respect, permanences present two aspects: on the one hand, they can be considered as propelling elements; on the other, as pathological elements. (..) It is evident that at Granada we experience the form of the past in a way that is quite different from at Padova. In the first instance, the form of the past has assumed a different function but it is still intimately tied to the city; it has been modified and we can imagine future modifications. In the second, it stands virtually isolated in the city; nothing can be added. Italian architect and theorist Aldo Rossi spoke of these issues in his seminal work, L’architettura della citta (1966). Certain histor- ical buildings, such as the Palazzo della Ragione in Padova, has continued to be used throughout the centuries while others such as Alhambra in Granada has lost their role for the life and devel- opment of the city, no longer “conditioning the urban area in which it stands and continuing to constitute an important urban focus”. Both are permanent parts in the flux of the city, but they function very differently: Previous page, above Mariakyrkan in the area of Stampen, Gothenburg, with Ullevi arena behind. Authors own photograph. Previous page, below Two moments in the history of the site that Mariakyrkan sits on. 10 Wether a piece of historic architecture becomes “pathological” or not has a lot to do with its context, according to Rossi. Typically, a pathological building is something that stands outside of the “tech- nological and social evolution” of the city. Returning to our churches, we could say that many of them are running the risk of becoming pathological permanences. Seldom do they constitute urban foci that developments in their context relate to in terms of acess, scale, orientation, spatial composition, materi- ality or other ways. In short, it is not uncommon for many churches and church plots to no longer make sense in their context. This is perhaps most evident when they’ve been juxtaposed to large scale infrastructure, as in the case of Mariakyrkan, which this thesis will focus on. Once “pathological”, serving no purpose, they become dependent on maintanence for the sake of preserving cultural heritage. Buildings with a capacity to evolve with their context and that continue to be used have a good chance to remain across the centuries. We could speak of moving “beyond preservation” when keeping a use for our historically valuable buildings. Palazzo della Ragione is effectively protected by performing perfectly well as a retail market. But this also requires us to accept that buildings have to be transformed. Opposite page, above The Alhambra in Granada, Rossi’s example of a “patho- logical” permanence Wikimedia commons, user name Jebulon. Retrieved 2022-05-09. Opposite page, below The lower galleries of the Palazzo della Ragione in Padova, a saturday in the autumn of 2019. Today as much as in 1966 when Rossi first wrote of it, it is true that “even if everyone is convinced that it is a work of art, it still functions quite readily at ground level as a retail market. This proves its vitality” (p 59). Authors own photograph. Rossi (2010[1981]), p. 65 - 69; Rossi (1996), p. 188 - 203; Szacka (2016), p. 134. Szacka (2016), p. 131 - 140. To get an idea of how an architectural practice could relate to the situation we have just described, we can look to Rossi’s own work. In 1980, for the first International Architecture exhibition in Ven- ice, The prescence of the Past, Rossi designed a small floating the- ater, the Teatro del Mondo. At the end of the biennale, the theatre traveled across the adriatic sea to the former venetian province of Dalmatia. Here I will first of all discuss how this project can be said to stage history and secondly I will describe the notion of context that it embodies and that was hinted at above. First of all, the theatre stages a myriad of historical references de- spite its condensed, geometric form. Some are visual and others more conceptual. I will later describe the three that I see as most important, which are the venetian “Marriage of the Sea” ceremony, the venetian tradition of temporary celebratory architecture and the anatomical theatre of Padova on the former venetian mainland. However, Rossi has cited countless other references, including wa- ter-related buildings like lighthouses, gondolier’s kiosks and beach cabins, the original Globe theatre in London, Palladio’s Villa Capra, the clocktowers of Padova, the farm architecture of the lombardy region and the “Venice made of wood” as seen in the paintings of Vittore Carpaccio. These references are drawn from the context, understood in a very wide sense. This notion of context can be elucidated by returning to L’architettura della città. In this and later works, Rossi uses to term “urban artifact” to describe anything that partakes in the construc- tion of the city, from architectural elements to the street structure and anything in between. Staging context: Teatro del Mondo 11 In relation to this key term, american architect Peter Eisen- man has commented: “The italian fatto urbano comes from the French faite urbaine. Neither the italian nor the English trans- lation adequately renders the full meaning of the original, which implies not just a physical thing in the city, but all of its history, geography, structure, and connection with the general life of the city”. Teatro del Mondo can be understood as an embodiment of this notion of context, from which references are picked and, as it were, staged. Rossi (1982), p 22. 12 13 Opposite page Drawings of Teatro del Mondo from the exhibition “Aldo Rossi: La finestra del poeta” (2015). Flickr Commons, Trevor Patt Above Teatro del Mondo anchored in Saint Mark’s basin. Flickr Commons, Angelo Plessas 14 Venetian “Marriage of the Sea” ceremony Anatomical theatre of Padova Venetian temporary theatres Detail from an engraving by Giacomo Franco, “Il nobilis- simo teatro deto il mondo” Wikimedia commons, user name Jacklee Retrieved 9/5 2022 and cropped. Photograph of the anatomi- cal theatre in Padova on the former venetian mainland. Wikimedia commons, user name Lanoyta Retrieved 8/1 2022 and cropped. Caspar Luyken, “Bucentau- rus omgeven door veertien gondels” (1695). Print in the collection of Rijksmuseum Amsterdam. https://www.rijksmuseum. nl/en/collection/RP-P- 1896-A-19368-1021 Retrieved 8/1 2022 and cropped. 15 To celebrate the venetian conquest of Dalmatia around the year 1000, a ceremony was established that continues to this day, in which the venetian head of state is symbolically married to the sea by dropping a concecrated ring into the water from a large boat known as the Bucintoro (3). This can be seen in the engraving to the left. Traveling by sea from Venice to Dalma- tia, Rossi’s theatre recalls the origin of this ritual, placing the theatre itself in the centre of a veritable theatrical event. The anatomical theatre of Padova was the first permanent anatomical the- atre in the world, inaugurated in 1595. Dissections were performed in the centre to teach anatomy to students of medicine. In A Scientific Autobiog- raphy (1981), Rossi notes how the anatomical theatre very explicitly places the human body at its center, differing in that way from roman perfor- mances with backdrops. Rossis own theatre features a so-called transverse stage with audience on two sides on the bottom floor and an octagonal gal- lery above. The focus of the theatre is thus placed on the body of the actor, with a small window as the only backdrop. This engraving by Giacomo Franco shows a temporary theater construc- tion mounted on a boat. It is an example of the tradition of “theatres of the world” common in 18th century Venice. Rossi’s theatre picks up the tradi- tion of this type of ephemeral celebratory constructions. Szacka (2016), p. 134 and Tafuri (1980), p. 7-9 Rossi (2010[1981]), p. 68. Website of the University of Padova https://www.unipd.it/en/ palazzo-bo-and-anatomi- cal-theatre Retrieved 8/1 2022 Encyclopaedia Britannica (2021), “Bucentaur”. https://www.britannica. com/technology/Bucentaur. Retrieved 8/1 2022. 16 Lampariello (2017), p. 272 - 274. Freud & Jung (1994), letter of March 2nd, 1910. Willenegger & Imhof (2018), p. 11 - 15. Andreola (2020) It’s important to note that Rossi doesn’t speak of “staging”. To my knowledge, he never clearly articulated specific methodology for his work, at least not in the manner that is expected of an academic project such as this one. He is, however, associated with the notion of analogous architecture, and I should say something about why I have not used this term. Analogous architecture was the topic of a fairly recent book, An- alogue Oldnew Architecture (2018) by Eva Willenegger and Lukas Imhof. The book traces the history of the notion of analogy at the ETH in Zurich, with an emphasis on the teaching of Miroslav Sik. This history starts with Aldo Rossi being invited as visiting profes- sor in 1972, introducing the idea of “analogous architecture”. He leaves soon thereafter but leaves a big impact on the ETH. The “analogous method” subsequently shifts in clarity, emphasis and content, largely as a result of who tutors it. What remains seem to be the idea of a design that is analogous to some reference(s) - attaining some of its traits while at the same time being clearly different. As for Rossi’s own understanding of analogy, he planned to write a book on the subject in 1970, but it was never completed. In fact, he rarely used the term in his design classes at the ETH. The concept of analogy comes from analytical psychologist Carl Gustav Jung, who wrote in 1910: Methodological notes on staging, analogy and exalted rationalism Rossi does not assume responsibility for this drift, and often avoids offering explanations, simply appreciating the stu- dents’ attempts at improving his own architectures. This way, however, precisely when it is seemingly understood, the enigmatic complexity of his thought starts to be lost: a thought that is untranslatable into standard projects, but at the same time arduous to be passed on effectively at a didac- tic level”. ‘Logical’ thought is the thought expressed in words, that ad- dresses itself to the outside world as a discourse. The ‘ana- logical’ or fantastic thought is sensible, figurative and mute, it is not a discourse but a rumination, material of the past, an act of revolt. The logical thought is ‘thinking in words.’ Analogical thought is archaic, unconscious and practically inexpressible in words. If we take this notion seriously, he is essentially claiming that anal- ogy is something very personal beyond explanation and impossible to express in language, seemingly excluding it as a methodology of any academic research such as this one. Students in Rossi’s studio at the ETH produced results that replicated his design choices and that were stylistically very similar to his own work. Of this devel- opment, Florencia Andreola has written: 17 Lampariello (2017), p. 229 - 230 and Aureli (2011), p. 141 - 176. Tafuri (1980) Rossi seems to have searched for a contradiction between a strong rationality on the one hand and a personal, emotional or “auto- biographic” component characterized by “analogical thinking” on the other. In the preface to his italian translation of Étienne-Louis Boullées theoretical work, Architecture, essai sur l’art, he coined the term “exalted rationalism” to describe such a contradiction. Apart from Boullée, he recognized this tendency in the work of Paul Klee, Le Corbusier, Adolf Loos and, to some extent, Louis Kahn. All of them managed to combine rationality with fantasy, autobiography and studies of the past. In my opinion, there is a sort of kinship between this exalted ratio- nalism and a certain “mannerist neoclassicism” that characterizes a part of the work of swedish architect Sigurd Lewerentz, another important reference for me. Ultimately, I have found the concept of analogy to be as fascinating as it is unhelpful in all of its nuance and ambiguity. Properly elu- cidating Rossi’s ideas about analogy might, it seems to me, be very interesting for a master’s thesis in architectural history but beyond the scope of the present one. As a methodological reference, I have choosen to focus instead on only one moment of Rossi’s practice, which is the Teatro del Mondo that I described earlier. I have preferred to interpret it and to use a term of my own - staging - in relation to it. I think this has made the understanding of my process more open to iterative reinterpre- tation on the part of myself as well as my supervisor and examiner. It distances the project from the authority of Rossi, even though he evidently has been very important to me. Teatro del Mondo is particularly relevant for this thesis because it seeked new ways of approaching heritage. Within the very restrict- ed expectations for transformations in the city centre of Venice, he managed to carve out a space of freedom to contribute something new that had the capacity to redefine the situation and make us relate to the existing in a new way. His primary tool in this regard was ephemerality - the fact that the theatre would only exist for a limited time. In a famous comment on Rossi’s theatre, italian critic Manfredo Tafuri has said that “the ephemeral is eternal”, in the sense that Rossi managed to make a permanent mark on our understanding and imagination of Venice despite its short life span, not least by means of photograhies of the project. This thesis has not employed ephemerality but has similarly seeked ways to approach and rede- fine heritage without intervening materially to any larger extent. 18 19 How can a church be transformed into a theatre complex while retaining the identety and usability of the church as a church? Thesis question 20 Background 21 Recent decades has seen a decline in the use of many of the church- es of Sweden, and the Swedish church is in the process of adapting its building stock to match this transformation. Urbanization, de- mographic changes and a decling interest in the activities of the church have been proposed as causes of this shift. Both church and state are stakeholders in the management and transformation of churches. In 2000, relationships between the Swedish state and church were reformed. The swedish church con- tinues to administer its’ buildings while the state provides finan- cial compensation to cover the costs of management and restoration that adheres to antiquarian principles as defined by the Historic Environment Act and controlled by county administrative boards and the Swedish National Heritage Board. The church has adopted four typical strategies to reduce its building stock. Ancillary buildings such as parish houses and rectories can be sold to move those functions into the church itself. The church can also be left unused while decay is counteracted (sv. “kallställn- ing”). If these alternatives are unfeasible, the church can be decon- secrated and sold to other religious communities or, finally, sold for non-religious purposes. The financial compensation provided by the state is the primary reason that the two latter alternatives have been much more common on the continent than in Sweden. Nev- ertheless, at least 95 churches was deconsecrated and closed down between 2000 and 2018, of which at least 16 lie within the bishopric of Gothenburg. There are, however, more complex alternatives to the four typical strategies outlined above. Churches can be sold without being de- sacralized. Services can still be hosted in accordance with the order of the Swedish church without actually being the property of the church. An example in Gothenburg is St Johanneskyrkan which was sold in 2018 to Göteborgs kyrkliga stadsmission. It is today used for social work, partly a café and partly a place of worship where services continue to be held. It is not unusual for churches to host performances or concerts oth- er than classical organ music. In 2011, a theatre adaptation of Lars The situation of the church of Sweden Hillström et al (ed.) (2017) Kyrkans tidning 27/9 2018, “Alla 95 kyrkor som tagits ur bruk - stift för stift” E-mail correspondance and interview with Jan Spånslätt (sv. stifts- ingenjör) in the bishopric of Gothenburg, autumn 2021 E-mail correspondance and interview with Jan Spånslätt (sv. stifts- ingenjör) in the bishopric of Gothenburg, autumn 2021 https://www.folkteatern.se/ evenemang/1270 Retrieved 2022-05-10 22 The “found” theatre space von Triers Breaking the waves was staged in St Johanneskyrkan in collaboration with Folkteatern. Annedalskyrkan has been a concert venue for the Way Out West music festival several times. However, there is to my knowledge still no church that is permanently re- purposed for performances in the way that St Johanneskyrkan is permanently used as a café. The multi-purpose church with a character of community center, in the manner of St Johanneskyrkan, seams increasingly relevant for a time in which many congregations face decreasing visitor num- bers while nevertheless retaining a loyal group of members who love their church. As for theatre, recent decades has seen a shift of interest towards the so-called “found” space, meaning that performances are held in spaces that were not originally designed for it. For example, the Roundhouse in London is a theatre housed in a shed that was origi- nally used to turn around steam engines, which naturally has a big impact on the atmosphere of the space. This interest in reuse of spaces for performances has also chal- lenged ideas about the aesthetic neutrality of theatre auditoria, for example in the Théâtre des Bouffes du Nord in Paris. Aesthethic neutrality is epitomized in so-called “black boxes”. This is a flexi- ble auditorium type that can be adjusted to several different rela- tionships between actors and audience. It is painted black to give the production crew freedom to shape the space into whatever they want. In a swedish context, theatre director Per Edström and architect Pentti Piha argued strongly for this type of neutrality in Rum och Teater (1976) for reasons of flexibility. On the other hand, in Theatre buildings: a design guide (2010) that I have consulted for this the- sis, auditorium designer Julian Middleton writes: “Over the past 20 years the starkness of the “black box” aeshetic has gradually been eroded. (...) Found spaces allow directors and designers a unique freedom and the creative opportunity to work with the individual character and atmosphere of a particular building”. As an architecture student, I can easily relate to this interest in the atmosphere of pre-existing spaces. In school, we’ve been taught to derive design solutions from obstructions and to work within a frame that limits our freedom but that paradoxically opens up our creativity. That the “tabula rasa” of the black box should not always and necessarily be the most desired auditorium is very understand- able to me. Nevertheless, this thesis does not argue for or against any given auditorium type. I have only raised the question here to argue for the feasability of using a church as a theatre auditorium and to say that doing so is not only an interesting architectural design task but also something that has relevance within the field of theatre. Strong (ed.) (2010), p. 72 - 73, 258 Strong (ed.) (2010), p. 92 - 93. Edström & Piha (1976). Opposite page, above The Roundhouse theatre in London, originally used to turn around steam engines. Wikimedia commons, user name Hufton+Crow. Retrieved 2022-05-09. Opposite page, below The Théâtre des Bouffes du Nord in Paris, “frozen” in its patinated state of decay un- der the leadership of theatre director Peter Brook. Wikimedia commons, user name Coyau. Retrieved 2022-05-09. Svenska dagbladet 11/5 2018, “Way out west går till kyrkan igen”. 23 24 HISTORIC ENVIRONMENT LAWS THEATRE CHURCH PROJECT SYNTHESIS Above Diagram showing the three in- stitutions that make demands on the project. The point is that the project needs to be a synthesis in which they don’t end up contra- dicting eachother. Initial studies 25 Choosing church and theatre format Three institutions make demands on the project. First of all, there is the Swedish church, which would use the building as a space of religious ceremonies. Second, there is the theatre company, which would use it as an auditorium for theatrical performances. Finally, the Historic Environment Act restricts interventions into churches in its fourth chapter that deals with “ecclesiastical cultural heri- tage”. Certain churches that are particularly important in terms of cultural heritage are also listed in accorance with the third chapter, which prescribes additional protections. The project needs to be a synthesis in which activities and insti- tutional demands don’t end up contradicting eachother. There are many auditorium formats, many ways to practice christianity and many ways of transforming an existing building. However, not all of them will be compatible with eachother. An important task in this project was therefore to choose an appropriate church and theatre format. In addition, the church should be used below full capacity to be relevant in relation to the question of superfluos churches and interesting from the point of view of my staging concept. The major decision that makes a synthesis possible is to design the backstage area and the foaye as additions to the church. This keeps the church relatively free from interventions and thus allows it to continue working as a space of worship, while also avoiding solu- tions that would violate antiquarian expectations of carefullness in relation to the church interior. The church is effectively trans- formed by means of a transformation of its context. That being said, such antiquarian expectations have not been stud- ied in detail. The validity of any proposal would be the up to the professional judgement of antiquarians working on the County administrative board. When intervening in the church, I have fol- lowed my intution of what carefullness would mean in this situa- tion, based on my experience of working with such questions during my internship. Carefullness also has to be discussed in relation to the exterior con- text in which I insert my additions, but I will do so in conjunction with a presentation of the specific church, which is Mariakyrkan in Gothenburg. On the following pages, I will describe some initial studies that allowed me to choose an appropriate church and the- atre format. 26 Ceremonial and profane space Typological study Some areas within a church is felt to be more sacred than others, the most sacred being those closest to the altar that are involved in ceremonies. This tends to be respected when profane functions associated with parish houses are built into the church, such as offices and café. One example is Vessinge church in Halland, illus- trated below. The following page outline some strategies for reducing the cere- monial part of the church, following the logic of the four different church types that exist in the Gothenburg area. The overall point is that the church type lends a grammar for how the ceremonial part of the church can be reduced. Right, above Still image from Ingmar Bergmans Nattvardsgäster- na (1963). The scene takes place in the sacristy after a ceremony, where the priest (Gunnar Björnstrand) drinks coffe with the churchwarden (Kolbjörn Knudsen), who is counting donations. Coffe cups and a thermos is jux- taposed with a large cross and the ceremonial dress of the priest, intermingling the sacred and ceremonial with the everyday profane in a way that seems very characteristic of the church as a workplace. www.ingmarbergman.se/ Ceremonial Spatial division Profane Right, below Vessinge church, before and after the ceremonial space was reduced to make room for offices, a café area, etc. Scale 1:800 Hillström et al (ed.) (2017). 27 Possible reductions of the ceremonial space in a basili- ca type church, using Haga- kyrkan as an example. The tripartite layout define how the space can be subdivided. Possible reductions of the ceremonial space in a choir church type, using Sankta Birgittas kapell in Gothenburg as an example. The architecturally distinct choir makes a reduction of the ceremonial space to the choir an intuitive solution. Possible reductions of the ceremonial space in a church type without a distinct choir (sv. “salkyrka”), using Mariakyrkan in Gothenburg as an example. This type offers more possibilities of reduction compared to the choir church type. Possible reductions of the ceremonial space in central plan church, using Östra ka- pellet in Gothenburg as an example. This type seem to offer the most possibilities of division, but the impact on the overall experience of the space is relatively large. This page: Possible reductions of the ceremonial space in four different church types. The layout and graphic style of this study is indebted to typological studies in Johannes Brattgårds mas- ter’s thesis “Metamorfos”. Scale 1:1600. 28 Gothenburg churches Mapping excercise 1. Örgryte gamla kyrka, 1200’s [1000’s] 2. Lundby gamla kyrka, 1300’s 3. Tyska Cristinae kyrka, 1783 [1624] .4. Göteborgs domkyrka, 1815 [1621] 5. Mariakyrkan, 1815 [1767] 6. Carl Johans kyrka, 1826 [1788] 7. Sta Brigittas kapell, 1857 8. Engelska kyrkan, 1857 [1762] 9. Hagakyrkan, 1859 10. Östra kapellet, 1861 11. St Johanneskyrkan, 1866 12. Backa kyrka, 1868 [1100’s] 13. St Pauli kyrka, 1882 14. Landala kapell, 1885 15. Örgryte nya kyrka, 1890 16. Oskar Fredriks kyrka, 1893 17. St Matteus kapell, 1907 18. Vasakyrkan, 1909 19. Annedals kyrka, 1910 20. Masthuggskyrkan, 1914 21. Brämaregårdens kyrka, 1925 22. Nylöse kyrka, 1929 [1627] 23. Helga korsets kapell, 1935 24. Johannebergskyrkan, 1940 25. St Olofs & St Sigfrids kapell, 1951-7 26. Björkekärrs kyrka, 1958 27. Härlanda kyrka, 1958 28. Norska sjömanskyrkan, 1958 29. Skårs kyrka, 1959 [1948] 30. Kungsladugårds kyrka, 1960 31. Biskopsgårdens kyrka 1961 32. St Markus & St Lukas kapell, 1961 33. Toleredskyrkan 1961 [1950] 34. Guldhedskyrkan 1966 [1951] 35. Högsbo kyrka 1966 36. Kaverös kyrka 1969 37. Norra Biskopsgårdens kyrka 1970 38. Burås kyrka 1971 [1951] 39. Brunnsbokyrkan, 1972 [1965] 40. Länsmangårdens kyrka, 1972 [1965] 41. Pater Nosterkyrkan, 1973 42. Vårfrukyrkan, 1972 43. Bjurslättskyrkan, 1973 [1966] 44. Lundby nya kyrka, 1996 [1886] The plan was used as a tool to understand the relationship between dates of construction, typology and location in order to pick a church that was appropriate for my study. 29 30 As a way to decide an appropriate church and auditorium format for my study, I designed a workshop for myself in which I combined the plan and section of a given church with that of a given theatre reference. This allowed me to asses the scale and feasibility of a theatre housed in a given church. After some quick experiments, I decided on the courtyard theatre type as the most appropriate auditorium format for my project. It has its origins in the Brititish renaissance, associated with Wil- liam Shakespeare. It is similar to an opera house in layout, but it’s smaller to make it acoustically and atmospherically more appropri- ate for drama theatre. The stage is a so-called thrust stage, meaning that it has audience on three sides, in front of the stage and on two or more balconies. These can be integrated with the organ balcony of many churches. The rows directly in front of the stage can be much less sloped than in other formats, making it possible to retain a more or less flat church floor. Courtyard theatres lack the tall scene tower associated with prosce- nium theatres (also known as peephole theatres) that would require a large intervention into the roof of the church. This is because the focus is less on large scenographies (which typically favour a view from the front) and more on speech, props and the human body. The lack of large scenographies also make the space itself flexible and avoids the need to store scenography on stage between plays - which would disturb religious ceremonies. Finally, courtyard theatres retain a spatial directionality that is typical of churches, unlike the arena format which has audience on all sides of the stage. The courtyard format was tested in three churches of different scales that were all intersting from the point of view of my staging concept and that were seldom or never used at full capacity. None of them are declared listed and interventions into them are thus restricted only by the fourth chapter of the Historic Environment Act. I choose to continue with Mariakyrkan because of its relatively small size that seemed appropriate for the time frame of my study - and because I found it charming. A meeting of typologies Workshop Below right: Typological representation of four different relationships between stage and audience. They are, from left to right, an end-stage (typical of proscenium theatres); a tra- verse stage (used by Rossi in the Teatro del Mondo); a thrust stage (typical of courtyard theatres); and fi- nally an arena stage (typical of amphiteatres). Source on theatre types: Strong (ed.) (2010), p. 8-11 and 67-72. Audience rows Legend Stage 31 Mariakyrkan Combination of drawings Date of construction 1815 Location Stampen, Gothenburg Architect Carl Wilhelm Carlberg Source Stadsbyggnadskontoret The theatre fits into the church space with some relatively minor adjustments and a small reduc- tion of seats. A proscenium-like frame closes off the stage before the altar. The organ balcony can be reused to host the audience. The technical equipment and ventilation ducts above the au- ditorium space fits into the attic of the church. Of course, certain questions remained unanswered, in particular the question of the multipurpose functioning of the space as both church and theatre, but the workshop gave me an overall scheme and showed me the feasability of a theatre for around 200 people in this church. Date of construction 1980 Location London, UK Architects Tim Foster Architects Seats 230 The auditorium is a self- supported construction within a pre-existing space known as the Forester’s Hall. Source Strong (ed.) (2010), p. 270- 271. Tricycle Theater 32 Tyska kyrkan Combination of drawings Date of construction Mostly characterized by 18th century rebuildings, with traces of an original church of 1648, in turn predated by a moved wooden church of 1624. Location Stora hamnkanalen, Gothenburg Architects Johan Anders Reuss, Carl Fredrik Adelcrantz and several others through the centuries. Source Stadsbyggnadskontoret The theatre fits into the church in a way that is similar to the previous experiment, but in a larger scale. Date of construction 1976 Location London, UK Architects Denys Lasdun and Partners Seats 400 Source Strong (ed.) (2010), p. 210 - 211. Cottesloe theatre 33 St Pauli kyrka Combination of drawings Date of construction 1882 Location Olskroken, Gothenburg Architect Adrian C. Peterson Source Stadsbyggnadskontoret The theatre fits into the church as a “box in a box” with circu- lation on the edges, in an even larger scale than the previous experiments. The apse becomes clearly articulated as a back- stage. Date of construction 2014 Location Gdansk, Poland Architect Renato Rizzi Seats 450 - 500 Sources https://teatrszekspirowski. pl/en/ https://www.archdaily. com/595895/gdansk-shake- spearean-theatre-renato-rozzi Retrieved 22-05-08 Gdansk Shakespeare theatre 34 Mariakyrkan Mariakyrkan lies in the district of Stampen in Gothenburg. It is centrally placed, architecturally interesting and vastly underused, currently not hosting masses or other recurring ceremonies. It is used mostly for small ceremonies for which you might like to be in a smaller church that doesn’t feel empty. The church lies adjacent to the much larger Ullevi arena. It has his- torically been associated with the adjacent poorhouse. The building history of the plot is discussed in the following chapter. Choice of church Opposite page Situation plan Scale 1:5000 Bellow and on next spread Photographs of Mariakyrkan by the author. 35 Mariakyrkan Cemetary Ullevi arena Historic city center Tra m co nn ec tio n 36 37 38 Concept & staged context 39 I turn now to present a selection from the context of Mariakyrkan that I will stage in the project. The concept is a mediating link between these historical references and the design proposal. The church functions as auditorium while the foyer is staged as a new nave with a basilican section and the backstage as a monastery distributed around two cloisters. MONASTIC CLOISTERS BACKSTAGE PLAN CHURCH AUDITORIUM ELEVATION NAVE ADDITION FOYER SECTION Above: Illustration of the concept. 40 41 Opposite page: The foyer addition in relation to the church. From the point of view of the foyer, the church is reoriented on a new axis. From the point of view of the church as a church, nothing is changed. The foyer has a deconstructed basilican section, one aisle being longer and exterior while the other is shorter and interior, built into the neighbouring building. Below: Study of the size and proportions of the foyer in relation to the church. One of the small “tran- septs” of the existant church, rep- resented in white below, is built into the new foyer. Facing this is a new interior with an integrated elevator shaft. More on this in the following chapter. 42 This spread shows examples of the tradition of rebuilding of churches that mostly existed prior to the 20th century. Churches have primarily been transformed by means of addition, most commonly in the manner of nr. 8 in this list. This is also what I have choosen to work with. During the 20th century, construction of new church- es were prioritized over rebuildings and existant churches were treated with increasing care. There is obviously good reasons for this, and we have this care- fullness to thank for the con- tinued existence of a lot of our cultural heritage. What seems to have been lost in the process, however, was precisely this immaterial heritage of transformation practices that for a long time offered a continuity between past and present. This is interesting for this thesis because it offers a typological grammar for not only church buildings in their static state of comple- tion but for their transfor- mation into new states. 1. Widening the nave by placing col- umns on the foundations of the original wall, thus creating three aisles. 2. Transforming a church with aisles into one great hall by removing the existing columns and placing a more advanced roof construction on the old walls. 3. Constructing a larger church after an older church was burned down or demolished. 4. Enlarging and reorienting the church by extending the nave on its long side. 5. Extending the nave in either direc- tion, often combined with the construc- tion of a new choir (to the east) or tower (to the west). 6. Adding a new nave to an existing tower. 7. Reusing materials from an old church in the construction of a new one. 8. Adding a tower (a), porch (b), tran- septs (c), sacristy (d) or choir (e) to an existing nave. 9. Enlarging and reorienting the church by adding a nave that trans- forms the old one into its transepts. 10. Shortening the nave, often on the choir side. 11. Constructing a smaller church after an older church was burned down or demolished. 12. Demolishing the transepts. Old wall Demolished Opposite page, legend New wall Source The drawings are based on the extensive research performed by the National Heritage Board within the research project “Sockenkyr- korna”. Dahlberg & Franzén (ed.) (2008), p. 45, 223, 273 - 287 and 307 - 311. Church transfor- mation practices before the 20th century 43 1. 7. 2. 8. 3. 9. 10. 11. 12. 4. 5. 6. a b cc d e 44 Late 18th century Late 19th century (as built) Late 19th century (as it would have looked if the first pro- posal was realized) 45 The history of the plot begins with the transformation of a a series of in- dustrial buildings from the early 18th century into a poorhouse. The new development can be seen in a 1767 drawing by the soon-to-be city architect Carl Wilhelm Carlberg. A dryhouse for malt was transformed into a church (1), the long building to the north (2) was used for dwelling and the build- ings close to the church (3) functioned as clergy house for the priest. The rest of the buildings functioned as kitchen, mill, wash house, bakery and brewery (4-5), storage, privy (6-9) and barn (10). One can speculate as to why the dryhouse for malt was reused as a church. Such dryhouses contain a large oven and was for this reason often placed away from other buildings. This might have made it seem institutional and church-like. The oven also becomes a house-within-the-house similar to the the design of many altars, preaching chairs, or various types of aedicu- lae. This is, of course, pure speculation on my part. The dryhouse church deterioriated and was felt to be too small. C.W. Carl- berg designed a proposal for a stone church that, in a classicist formal langague, also seems to have cited the cross configuration of the previous church (11). This church was deemed too expensive. It was built according to a new design without the northern and southern transepts and was in- augurated in 1815 (12). By this time, Carlberg had designed a large new poorhouse (13). The smaller buildings on the north part of the plot (6-9) were eventually removed and instead a long economy building was erected (12). Increasingly, what was once farm land attained the character of park space, adjacent to the growing northern cemetary, which was developed according to a design by Carlberg and inagurated in 1804. It is evident that Carlberg, in his first proposal, wanted to articulate a north-south axis in addition to the east-western one. This would have linked the church to his nearby urban plan for the cemetary. It seems unlikely that the long eco- nomical building (12) would have been erected as it did if the first proposal had been accepted. One can imagine that in such a case, a more articulated relation to the cemetary would have been established. The models are based on a synthetic interpretation of drawings, photographs and text descriptions. I should stress that they are specula- tive to a certain extent, es- pecially regarding the height of the buildings in the first model, since this could only be approximated by looking at photographs of which we of course have none from this time. Sources Lindblad (1993), Ahlforss (1925), Bæckström (1923) and photographs in the col- lection of Göteborgs stads- museum, accessed through Carlotta. History of the settle- ments on the plot 46 In the beginning of the 20th century, the southern part of the yard was demolished to make space for a road, tearing the yard open. A tram connection even went along this route at one point. A part of the long economical building eventually deteriorated and was de- molished in the 60’s. At that time, Sven Brolid designed a sacristy to the north and renovated the church. The proposal is placed on a part of the plot that to a large extent has never been previously built upon. This has various reasons, one of them being the preciousness of that which remains of the yard, which is considered highly valuable from a cultural-histori- cal perspective since it gives an idea of how large parts of central Gothenburg were built prior to the large ciry fires in the 18th and 19th centuries. A strong relationship to the yard has always been present in this settlement. My addition creates a border on the eastern and north-eastern side of the current yard, as well as two new yards that reference monastic cloisters. In the new context with Ullevi arena and the surrounding infrastructure, this provides some of the more closed spatial intimacy of the original settlement (see the first model). The foyer protrudes from the existant church in a way that is sim- ilar to the northern cross arm in Carlbergs first proposal. This reorients the church-as-theatre towards the cemetary and the pe- destrian route leading from the tram stop. This means that the church-as-church and the church-as-theatre are entered from dif- ferent directions, hopefully creating clarity for visitors. The “mo- nastic” backstage area is less immediately integrated with the church and seems more like an additon than the foyer does. This is also to provide clarity for visitors, who should not try to enter the theatre through the backstage. Today Proposal 47 48 This spread shows examples of chancel screens, a type of semi-transparent construc- tion that separates the choir and altar from the rest of the church. These have been used as a way to create a clear boundary between dif- ferent degrees of holyness. This is interesting for this project because on the one hand it creates a certain “backdrop” facing the nave, and on the other hand it introduces a separation between a more holy space and less holy one. This can be a way to separate areas belonging more to the church as church from areas belonging equally to church and theatre. This page: Types of transparencies that historically have been employed in the construction of chancel screens Opposite page: Examples of chancel screens with different ways of creat- ing semi-transparency and separation between spaces. Also shown is how chancel screens can be integrated with other elements in the church. Source: Nilsén (1991) Chancel screens 50/50 void & mass Combination of transparencies Sticks Stylistic variation Tectonic construction Combination with masonry 49 Integrated with steps Doors Integrated with bench rows Pyramids or other forms that demarcate the choir 50 Proposal 51 Situation Scale 1:5000 Proposal Cemetary Ullevi arena Historic city center Tra m co nn ec tio n 52 Church entrance area Fattighusån Tram stop Cemetary Park area of cemetary Primary access paths Public yard Backstage yards / “monastic cloisters” Situation Scale 1:1000 53 Staff & visitor’s entrance to backstage Public entrance to foyer Staff entrance to backstage Stage get-in Staff entrance to church Public entrance to church Backstage Auditorium / Church Foyer Situation Scale 1:400 54 Pl an & so ut he rn e le va ti on Sc al e 1: 30 0 55 Pl an & se ct io n Sc al e 1: 30 0 C ei lin g pl an w it h te ns io n w ir e gr id Sc al e 1: 45 0 56 57 Se ct io n Sc al e 1: 25 O n th e ex te ri or , t he r oo f is r ai se d in r el at io n to th e w al l. In th e in te ri or , it is lo w er ed . T hi s is to av oi d th at th e ra is ed r oo f be co m es a c ol d br id ge . A s se en in th is a xo no m et ri c re pr es en ta ti on , e ve ry o th er tr us s is e xa gg er at ed in it s di m en si on s an d pr ot ru de s in to th e sp ac e be lo w ; t he re st s ho w o nl y th ei r bo tt om su rf ac e A pa rt o f t he e xi st an t m ou ld in g sl id es in to th e ga p pr od uc ed b y th e ra is ed r oo f o f t he fo ye r Th e ne w d ra in ag e is s us pe nd ed b el ow th e ex is ta nt o ne o f t he c hu rc h Th e fo ye r w al l i s m ad e of p la st er ed le ca bl oc ks c on ta in in g is ol at io n T h is p ag e D et ai ls o f t he m ee ti ng b et w ee n ch ur ch a nd fo ye r Se ct io n (1 :5 ) o f t he po lis he d te ns io n w ir e gr id m ou nt ed ab ov e a m ol di ng in th e in te ri or o f th e ch ur ch . B el ow is a p la n of th e sa m e de ta il. E xi st an t m ou ld in gs o n th e ch ur ch fa ca de 58 Se ct io n & n or th er n el ev at io n Sc al e 1: 30 0 59 Illustration of actor´s movement from loges to greenroom and stage Scale 1:450: 60 Ceremonial Spatial division Profane Before After 61 Above Perspective illustration of the foyer, with exaggerated elevator tower to the left and the existant church transept to the right. In the middle of the image, one of the aisles of the basilica is seen, containing ticket office and bar on the lower level and balconies on the upper level. The wall openings are thus openings on interiors (dotted), windows (clear) and blind windows (shadowed) 62 Above Isometric representation of the church interior Opposite page Perspectives from the church interior 63 64 Bibliography 65 Ahlforss, Arvid (1926). Göteborgs ålderdomshem: f.d. Göteborgs stads fattighus med fattighus- kyrkan : minnesskrift. 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Luzern: Quart Verlag GmbH. 68 About me 69 Internship Mats Fredriksson Arkitektkontor 2021 Design assistant Johan Linton Studio “Architecture projects: Brunnsparken” Röhsska Museum of Design and Craft 2020 - 2021 Master’s degree Architecture and urban design Chalmers Institute of Technology 2020 - 2022 Bachelor’s degree Chalmers Institute of Technology 2016 - 2019 Natural Science foundation year Malmö university 2015 - 2016 Humanistic studies Lund university 2012-2015 Albin Aldén