Municipal Theater of Corfu
FIRST PRIZE
Location: Corfu, Greece
Year: 2010
Status: Design Completed – Commission Pending
Area: 6.750 sq.m.
Team: S. Zerefos, C. Tessas, I. Armeni, T. Bristoyanni, K. Hatzopoulos and A. Kokkini, Consultant: H. A. Tessas
The proposed design promotes the sense of openness that is offered, compared to its previous state, transforming the building and consequently its entrance square to a recognizable meeting point, ideal for public gathering and play.
The building’s functionality is highly improved. Most of the interior spaces are now accessible to people with reduced mobility and the entrance to the opposite building of the Prefecture is optimised. The expansion of the foyer on the first floor, the displacement of the tickets office, and the restaurant and cafeteria added, functionally organise the building and offer new spaces to be embraced by the public. The arches situated on the side facades are closed with glass panels so that the previously dysfunctional archways are enriched with new cultural and commercial uses such as shops, bookstore and exhibition spaces. The creation of a second elevated square that dominates the main facade suggests a pleasant outdoor extension of the foyer that symbolically interacts with the square.
The offices of the art direction and the choir rehearsal rooms are renovated according to up-to-date functional specifications and, thanks to the new facades, enjoy the natural light and the views to the street. Simultaneously, the activity taking place inside is projected to the life of Theotoki road, making the theatre’s presence strongly felt. The elevation of the chorus rehearsal rooms partially hides the theatre’s fly tower, which appears lighter nonetheless, because of the proposed use of glass that is illuminated at night.
Elements of the local architectural tradition are maintained and innovatively reused in the proposed design and attention is given to the playful alteration of transparency during the day. The building’s skin changes as the sun moves and aspects of the interior are gradually revealed until the maximum sense of transparency is reached, after sunset, with the suitable illumination of the indoor spaces.
The new configuration of the side facades leaves most of the existing structural system intact, and new light-weight elements are added throughout the building. The overall treatment of the facades indicates a double skin that creates a uniformly shaded and naturally ventilated shell, inside of which insulation is placed. This, in addition to the proposed configuration of the fly tower that promotes the natural ventilation of the interior, makes the proposal environmentally friendly. As to active energy systems, solar panels are applied to the roof, taking advantage of the favorable orientation and providing a significant part of the building’s electricity consumption.
Concerning the design of the square, importance is given so that the two public buildings and the city walls are highlighted. The water jets and the proposed planting create a pleasant gathering space, suitable for hosting open events, whereas the underground parking eases traffic congestion.
PUBLICATIONS
Σ. Χ. Ζερεφός, Χ. Α. Τέσσας, Η Αξία της Βιωσιμότητας στην Αρχιτεκτονική. ΚΤΙΡΙΟ ΑΡΧΙΤΕΚΤΟΝΙΚΗ, σελ.56-59, 2014
Γ. Πανέτσος (Επ.). Ανάπλαση των Όψεων και της Πλατείας του Δημοτικού Θεάτρου Κερκύρας. Επετηρίδα Ελληνικής Αρχιτεκτονικής. σελ.50-51,ΔΟΜΕΣ 04/2013.
Ελληνικό Ινστιτούτο Αρχιτεκτονικής. Ανάπλαση των όψεων του Δημοτικού Θεάτρου Κέρκυρας και της προ της εισόδου του Πλατείας. 7ηBiennale ΝέωνΑρχιτεκτόνων. ΚατάλογοςΈκθεσης. 2012. Σελ. 70-71
Vinnitskaya , Irina (ed.). “Renovation and Extension of the Municipal Theatre of Corfu and the Entrance Piazza / Zerefos Tessas Architects” 26 May 2011. ArchDaily. Accessed 29 May 2011. http://www.archdaily.com/136119
SimosVanvakidis(ed.). Ανάπλαση των όψεων του δημοτικού θεάτρου της Κέρκυρας. Archisearch15 Φεβ 2011.
Π. Χ. Παπαϊωάννου (συντ.), Το Δημοτικό Θέατρο της Κέρκυρας & η Πλατεία μπροστά από την είσοδό του, σελ 28, ΚΤΙΡΙΟ, 1/2011
Σ. Χ. Ζερεφός, Χ. Α. Τέσσας, Αρχιτεκτονικός διαγωνισμός για το Δημοτικό Θέατρο Κέρκυρας, σελ. 44-49, BuildingGreen, 16/2010
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