PINA

BAUSCH

ZENTRUM

The Pina Bausch Zentrum (PBZ) builds on the radical ethos of German dancer and choreographer Pina Bausch, updating and expanding this historic cultural venue for a new generation of leadership, including the pioneering choreography of Boris Charmatz. The shared DNA of their work, which resists the rigid boundaries of dance, requires an architecture that challenges institutional norms.

INTERSECTION

The anatomy of the PBZ is defined by the intersection of two axes: an East-West extension of the garden courtyards of the Schauspielhaus (theater) and a North-South connection from the Bundesallee to the river. The crossing forms a third courtyard that will be the center of activity. This Performance Courtyard is a multi-level space surrounded by the functional programs of the building: the Lobby to the North, the support wing and Archives to the East, the Multifunktionsraum (Multi-Function Room) to the South, and Die Küche (a central bar and social hub) to the West, where the Schauspielhaus and the new building join.

GROUND AS MOSAIC

The PBZ and its surroundings make up a mosaic of interpretable spaces defined by their attributes: indoor and outdoor, vegetated and paved, environmentally controlled and raw. Spaces may be opened or closed depending on the weather. They can be interconnected or separated. The mosaic is a democratic surface, upon which the public can flow through the building from street to river and from Schauspielhaus to Sopp’sche Pavilion without purchasing a ticket. The creative energy of the PBZ - rehearsals, performances, events, exhibitions, food - are made visible and accessible in all directions.

A second ground is defined by the extension of the existing terrace of the Schauspilhaus, which pierces into the Performance Court and becomes the technical walkway of the Multifunktionsraum. From this elevated pathway, accessible from the courtyard, the public is invited behind-the-scenes to view installations and rehearsals as well as performances. A terrace above the Archives offers an exterior space adjacent to the Ballettsaal (Ballet Hall) for dancers to warm up or extend their rehearsals outside. The area surrounding the Sopp’sche Pavilion has intimate micro-courts that can be used as an outdoor reading room for scholars at the Pina Bausch library, as an informal lobby, or a break-out space for the two interconnected Multifunktionsräume. A continuous Riverwalk with a terraced edge brings the dancers and audiences into direct contact with the water while protecting the site against flooding. This walk is punctuated by three outdoor plazas that further extend the activities of the center into the public realm.

A MACHINE FOR DANCE

In response to Boris Charmatz’s sentiment that dance is everywhere, the building and surrounding site offer a proof of concept on home turf. The PBZ is an agile architecture of infrastructure, both raw and refined, and responsive to needs as they happen.

The cantilevered Ballettsaal facing north acts as a canopy to the front door. A café hangout below has lighting and simple rigging that can be used for informal performances off the street. The adjacent historic plaza that connects the front doors of the Schauspielhaus and PBZ can be taken over for larger public events and festivals.

Die Küche just beyond the entry is the social hub of the PBZ where artists and audiences mix day and night. Flexible seating including informal lounge areas and communal dining are organized around a large central bar that straddles old and new and provides a discreet connection to below ground kitchen support.

The Performance Courtyard is a hub for collaborative work and socializing, an outdoor expansion of Die Küche and a multi-level performance space. It is ringed by catwalks and equipped with rigging and lighting for outdoor performance. A retractable fabric canopy can be deployed to passively warm and shade the space for year round use.

The Multifunktionsraum is a raw space isolated for sound with retractable shades for light and view control, a robust technical grid for rigging and lighting, and retractable doors that open to connect into the Performance Courtyard and the River Plaza. Sheltered by a bi-fold hanger door, the River Plaza has plug-in infrastructure for power and lighting. The covered entry plaza, lobby, courtyard, Multifunktionsraum, and River Plaza open onto one another with large scale operable hanger doors to make one continuous space from Bundesallee Street to the river.