Site Theatre Peniche
The project of the new Site Theatre in Peniche, Portugal, finds its principle inside the suggestive and particular context.
The Peniche Peninsula is a place where the sea, the sky and the landscape are the protagonists of this spectacular site.
The project is based on the willingness to consider all the natural elements in order to create a poetic dialogue with the surrounding landscape.
A free pedestrian pathway on the rocks guarantees the access to the Site Theatre, in order to maintain the perception of the natural soul of the site.
The theatre has been designed as a composition of precise spaces; the first one is a pure and simple solid conceived to hold the hall space and a little auditorium. Patios and frames are insert in both of them allowing people to perceive the whole natural context by different and unique points of view.
The vacuum created through the excavation of the volume signed the entrance of the theatre. This space, covered by the azulejos, reminds to the Portuguese’s tradition and embraces visitors in a panoramic view of the Peninsula.
The second space is the exact negative of the previous solid, generated by the rock’s excavation. The space obtained represents the core of the theatre; its specific location permits to protect itself by the wind and allows visitors to experience the real perception of the rock’s materiality.
A spacious plaza, located between the solid and the vacuum of the theatre, guarantees a public open space for the visitors and offers the possibility to increase the space necessary for the open air exhibition.
At the end the aim of the project is to keep the Peniche peninsula with its strong natural character, introducing just a pure and white volume; it has the goal to create a new attractive point for visitors and at the same time to generate a dialogue with the tradition and culture of the place.
