NEW ERA OF PERFORMANCE VENUES

The Vertical Theatre Group was founded by entertainment architects Stufish, in collaboration with many theatre directors and producers. The concept was created in response to the coronavirus pandemic and it aims to be a pop-up venue for the new era of performance venues while social distancing regulations are in place.

Holly Gilliam, director at The Vertical Theatre Group recently spoke to Dezeen about the project.

"Initially, the concept was about keeping the arts alive by creating a venue that could 'pop up' in cities around the country and be programmed and run by those left out of work from the closure of local theatres and live entertainment venues," she explained.

"As the design started taking shape, we decided to broaden our approach and to create a commercially viable space for live entertainment now, in a world of social distancing, as well as it being an innovative new venue that would provide a space for all levels of live entertainment into the future."

The structure has been designed to be fully demountable and freestanding, accommodating between 1,200 and 2,400 people. This would allow spectators to watch range of live performances including theatre shows, live music and concerts, sporting games, comedy acts or even circus acts – all in a socially distanced setting.

The stage would be placed in the centre and be surrounded by a four storey-structure supporting multiple-balconies. The concept shows that each balcony viewing box would be separated by clear screens and could be configured to seat groups of between four and 12 people.

Ric Lipson, a partner at Stufish told Dezeen that the flow of audiences through traditional entertainment buildings is quite restrictive, often resulting bottlenecks.

"This venue completely rethinks the movement of the audience," he said.

The venue will still have a roof, however, it would have open sides to allow for optimum airflow and natural ventilation, combining the ventilation advantages of an outdoor venue with the mechanics of an indoor space.

The Vertical Theatre Group plans to build the first Vertical Theatre later in 2021 and intends to build multiple venues in countries around the world.

Images via Dezeen