Adaptable architecture. Integrating flexibility and sustainability : an answer to the modern demands in theatre design

Scalo Farini as part of one of the most important industrial cities in Europe, is at the moment desolately one deserted space, which has completely lost its function and meaning, besides the almost central location it holds. Previously used as a railway station, now the zone stands almost completely useless, creating a cloud of uneasiness for any casual passenger. Having the good position it does, a new, better solution is being suggested through different analysis of the city. Trying to transfer this space into an interactive, cultural, and habitable zone, a new master plan has been made, in which the city is divided into 3 main zones. A cultural, educational and a residential zone. The cultural zone, composed of 3 theatres (a classical 1000 seat theatre, an arena which can host up to 4000 people, and a flexible 400 seat theatre with an open air theatre), is one of the newly created spaces which is maybe the most important point in the master plan which would attract many people through its program. Focusing on the flexible theatre, through a thorough research, I have acknowledged a lot of information about the new innovations in theatre design, out of which the black box theatre stands out as one of the most famous and most used improvements in recent times. Wanting to give the theatre a multi functional use, I have decided to create a space which would satisfy the needs of every user that would like to use the theatre for any purpose. Through the hydraulic system of seats which can be placed at different levels, the auditorium could have many arrangements. The simplest one, square, flat appearance is only one of the options. The theatre’s seating could also be arranged in the classical auditorium way, it could be arranged with different parts raised at different levels which would be used as a seating zone in case of a play which includes interaction with the public, or it can be arranged in a way that the raised floors create a catwalk satisfying yet one of the uses the city is famous for. Through the double exhibition space, and the restaurant on the top floor the space will easily become a multi used interaction zone. Of course, all of this achieved through the main principles of the advanced increasing sustainable design.