mecanoo: the new amphion theatre, doetinchem

the new amphion theatre in doetinchem by mecanoo all images courtesy mecanoo photos by christian richters

on wednesday, 8 september 2010, queen beatrix of the netherlands officially opened the new amphion theatre in doetinchem by mecanoo. theatre director henk raben and architect francesco veenstra toured her majesty around the theatre complex, which replaces the successful amphion from the 1970s.

the new theatre features slightly reclined facades with sand-coloured masonry and a playful pattern of square windows. from the interior, this creates surprising compositions imbuing each space with its own character. the audience enters the theatre through an ascending forecourt which plays the role of a red carpet. warm red shades prevail within the spacious interior of four linked foyers. the horseshoe-shaped main auditorium with three balconies and a total of 860 seats maintains an intimate atmosphere owing to the close proximity of the audience to the stage. the small 300 seat theatre has is flexibility of due to a flat floor construction, and is almost an exact replica of the small theatre hall of the old amphion.

only the fly tower on the exterior betrays the presence of the auditorium.. three balconies encircle the theatre, seating the audience close to the stage. visitors have a perfect view from every seat onto the imposing 36 x 19 meter stage floor which is suitable for all large-scale theatrical productions. the small 300 seat hall can be used as a black box and is almost an exact copy of the popular small theatre hall of the old amphion. the u-shaped layout of movable stands ensures direct contact between actors and spectators. by moving the stands together, the venue is transformed into a concert hall or a ballroom.

in the amphion theatre, performances are changed at a relatively high speed. to facilitate this, efficient loading and unloading is required. mecanoo provided the loading and unloading area with enough space for three 18-meter long trucks, centred between the stages of the two theatre halls located on the same floor level. this space can also be used to temporarily house stage sets or to exchange sets between the large and small theatre halls. the main hall is equipped with fully automatic features in the 29 meter high fly tower. uniquely, the large and small theatre halls have windows, so that the technical staff has daylight in their workplace.

project info:

program: theatre with large 860 seat theatre hall, small 300 seat theatre hall, lobby and theatre café totalling 9,700 m2 design: 2006-2008 realization: 2008-2010 client: cultural centre theatre amphion sa, doetinchem structural engineer: abt bv, delft project management and building cost consultant: bbn consultants, houten building physics advisor, acoustics and fire safety: lbp sight, nieuwegein technical theatre advisor: theateradvies bv, amsterdam mechanical, electrical engineers: royal haskoning, rotterdam contractor: aan de stegge bouw & werktuigbouw, goor building costs including installations: 23,130,000 euro