CALLING FOR CONSCIOUSNESS

Theatre architecture enriches theatre experience and it is more than a frame to a picture - nonetheless, how theatre architecture acts to enrich theatre experience has been barely discussed. Indeed, theatre nowadays as a form of art is considerably challenged but at the same time inspired by other media such as the rising use of electronic stimulation. The subjectivity, physicality, and spontaneity are unique and irreplaceable in comparison with other performing art forms such as film and television. Live experience - What is the meaning of live to us? “In truth it’s not actual touching of or by spectators that is notable about live performance, but only the possibility that it can occur.” The difficulties in differentiating between theatre and various performing art forms may have already implied that a kind of consciousness is lacking for many people nowadays.

This thesis comes from the one-year self-initiated Black Box theatre “Vismopheric Experiment: In Search of Utopia” in Theatre Horizon, an adapted theatre in an old tenement building (Tong Lau). The complexity and richness in the context of the informal theatre act drive to reflect on the role of “theatre architecture” nowadays. The future potential of the building typology (Theatre in the Municipal Services Building) is also speculated.

This thesis aims to reimagine public theatre architecture. Theatre as an immediate (live) experience is not “immediate” – it is a seed that can induce changes in individuals on how one perceives. Theatre architecture should also serve as a public theatre that fosters the flow of emotion and intelligent communication even for non-theatre-goers.