Thalia Theater
THALIA THEATER
Gonçalo Byrne Architects & Barbas Lopes Architects
ARCHITECTS
Gonçalo Byrne Architects & Barbas Lopes Architects
PHOTOGRAPHS
Dmf
AREA
1600.0 sqm
YEAR
2008
LOCATION
Lisbon, Portugal
CATEGORY
Theater , Renovation
Two generations of Portuguese architects have converted the ruins of a neoclassical theatre in Lisbon, near the city's zoo.
The remains of the building were covered by a layer of concrete and extend into a glass pavilion, forming a multi-purpose space where events and performances can take place.
The Thalia Theatre was inaugurated in 1843, as a private venue for the Count of Farrobo.
It is located on the outskirts of Lisbon, opposite a palace and gardens, also owned by this aristocrat.
In 1862, a fire burnt down the building with all its luxurious decoration of gilded wood, mirrors and chandeliers.
For almost 150 years, the Thalia Theatre lay in ruins.In 2008, the Portuguese Ministry of Education and Science commissioned a study to convert the Thalia Theatre into a multi-purpose space.
In order to preserve the ancient walls of the Thalia Theatre, the exterior was completely covered by a layer of terracotta concrete to form a large, monolithic body.
It consists of the original volumes of the audience and the 23-metre high stage.
Inside these two spaces the ruins were left intact in a spectacle of their own.
An adjacent single-storey, fully glazed structure houses the additional programme such as a reception, toilets, and café.
The new wing embraces the Thalia Theatre and faces the busy adjoining street through a continuous surface of glass that reflects the surrounding area.
The project for the reconversion of the Thalia Theatre in Lisbon combines the old and new parts of the building in an urban ensemble overlooking the nearby zoo.
It brings back the memory of the past as a place for fantasy, imagination and civic life.
