New Municipal Theater. Xátiva, Valencia. Spain

National Contest: First Prize

An Italian type theatre, with 800 seats, layed out in a single stand in such a way that it can be possible to get any seat from any access, from low or high floors. Theatre lovers not only come to see the the play but also to meet other people after and before the spectacle, to enjoy some exhibition in the intervals or just to chat while having a snack in the cafeteria.

We knew how to project and build a theatre, classical and traditional, like this one; essentially for this reason, we did not try to invent any volume that would not be appropriate for our purposes, but to build a unique large hall without spatial divisions, the most perfect acoustics and a wide visibility, in a humane and comfortable building.

Because of these reasons, we spent more of our time thinking about the building’s integration with the plot. The work of the preliminary project was to place the buildings in the plot in such a way that they seem to always have been there and also that the way from the higher street to the lower one was natural; descending sections of stairs or ramps where in each flight something different could be done: to sit on a bench to read; to have a soft drink; to chat with some children or some person or, simply, to think and rest enjoying the public garden.