Sundsvall is about to receive a public program of major importance for its citizens: a new arts and theatre center. What is crucial about the project is its flexibility. I should address the ever-changing arts and cultural events this developing city embraces, while motivating and encouraging a wide range of generations to continue using it. The project is a receptacle of cultural and urban exchange. Our project has understood this central need and proposes a single element to gather and answer all needs, desires, dreams. The main idea of the project is to compose with voids rather than with solids: the building’s flow and ‘open’ programs are arranged first and subordinated to them are the technical spaces. The auditoriums are understood as voids, carefully placed so they are welcoming from the foyer and directed out toward the bay and river, as each has a back wall that is fully operable to take advantage of the beautiful natural scenery. The project is organized as a large public space, named the origami foyer, and mingles through the technical program towards the artist’s spaces, office and theatre’s smaller programs. Each main program is separated as its own compartment by a void that let’s light come down to the foyer
| Project | Arts Center, Theater | Budget | 37.600.000 EUR | Type | open competition |
| Size | 12.000 m2 | Client | Sundsvall Municipality | Status | settled 2008 |
| Location | Sundsvall, Sweden | Team | dUCKS Scèno/Michel Cova, Buro Happold, JDS | ||
| Creative Authorship | Julien De Smedt | Project Leader | Charlotte Truwant | Project Team |
Reveal list ▿ Aleksander Kiskielis, Andrew Griffin, Andy Vann, Barbara Wolff, Dries Rodet, Federico Pedrini, Felix Luong, Francisco Villeda, Heechan Park, Jordi López Aguiló, Juraj Calaj, Kristoffer Harling, Lidiya Zyskina, Lliz Kelsey, Wouter Dons, Xavier Van Rooyen |