Town Hall & Theatre

The project combines the functions of town hall, theatre and grand café on a location in the shape of a kite. The narrow tail end of the lot is situated on the main street of the former old town centre. Both theatre and town hall need to have a presence, and preferably their main entrances, on this constricted front, as both fulfil signature public functions. This predicament originated the intricately interwoven complex. Openness is achieved by extending the sight lines from the town centre deep into the building. From the street, one gains a view of the inner courtyard, along which the administrative offices are housed. As one comes closer, the spaces on the first and second floor, where the spectacles of weddings and theatre take place, come into view. Apart from sharing a communal entrance, the spaces of the town hall and the cultural centre are separate. The spatial division of the two functions is achieved by the ramp to the wedding room and the staircase to the council chambers.

The narrow front facade is marked by a cantilever; the large void on the ground level effectuates a wide-angled view onto the adjacent green space. The building thus unites the old town centre and the green space. All facades are dressed in green glass, reflecting the vegetation on the green side and framed by strips of concrete on the urban side.