مجتمع فرهنگی و نمایشی

OMA: taipei performing arts center breaks ground

taipei performing arts center site
image © OMA /


construction has begun on the -designed taipei performing arts centre (TPAC) in taipei taiwan.
the dutch practice won the competition to build the multi-theatre space in january 2009, beating out 135 other entries from 24 countries.
see designboom's coverage of the project during its proposal phase .

the overall architecture of TPAC is composed of three main volumes, one 1,500-seat theatre and two 800-seat theatres,
which plug into a central cube clad in corrugated glass. this consolidates the supporting backstage spaces and mechanical facilities
of each auditorium into a single, efficient mass, while also letting the theatres function individually and autonomously.
this arrangement allows the performing platforms to be modified or merged for unexpected scenarios and uses,
offering specific advantages, as well as undefined freedoms.



taipei performing arts center - approach from north
image ©

the structure is lifted off the ground, the central block permitting the street to extend both under and upwards into the building,
gradually separating the different auditoriums. this layout draws people into the 'public loop', an outdoor courtyard built within the infrastructure,
whereby the general public, including those without a ticket, are also encouraged to enter TPAC and observe the areas of production
that are typically hidden from view such as rehearsals, technical spaces. this gives the audience the opportunity to experience
theatre production more fully, while also reaching out to the broader community.



arrival from underpass
image © OMA /



lobby perspective
image © OMA /



proscenium playhouse
image © OMA / artefactorylab


the main theatre, 'proscenium playhouse', resembles a suspended planet, docked within the central cube.
the audience is able to circulate between an inner and outer shell to access the space. from within,
the intersection of the internal framework and the cube forms a unique proscenium that creates any frame imaginable.



proscenium playhouse
image © OMA



grand theatre
image © OMA / artefactorylab


a contemporary evolution of the large performance spaces of the 20th century, the 'grand theatre' resists the standard shoebox-shape,
taking on a slightly asymmetrical form. the stage level, parterre and balcony are all unified into a folded plane.



grand theatre perspective
image © OMA



multiform theatre
image © OMA / artefactorylab


the 'multiform theatre' stands opposite the 'grand theatre' on the same level and is a flexible space that accommodates
the most experimental performances.



super theatre
image © OMA / artefactorylab


the industrial-like volume of the 'super theatre' is formed by coupling the 'grand theatre' and 'multiform theatre'.
it has the capacity to accommodate previously impossible productions such as B.A. zimmermann's opera 'die soldaten' (1958),
which demands a 100-metre-long stage. existing conventional works can now be re-imagined on a more monumental scale,
encouraging new practices of experimental theatre to flourish.



super theatre
image © OMA



outdoor public loop
image © OMA / artefactorylab



taipei performing arts center site by night
image © OMA / artefactorylab



site model




taipei performing arts center model
© OMA



taipei performing arts center model 3/4 view
© OMA



section of the 'proscenium playhouse'
image © OMA


section of the 'super theatre'
image © OMA



exploded diagram
image © OMA



diagram
image © OMA

diagram of public loop
image © OMA


lobby circulation diagram

image © OMA