Etenduskunstide töömaja – väiketeatrite maja

Abstract

Käesoleva lõputöö eesmärk oli kavandada Tartusse Soola tn 5b krundile etenduskunstide töömaja – väiketeatrite maja, mis toetaks väiksemate ja paindliku töökorraldusega etenduskunstide tegutsejate vajadusi. Projekti lähtekohaks oli arusaam, et etenduse valmimiseks ei piisa ainult saalist. Vajalik on terviklik keskkond, kus saavad toimuda proovimine, ettevalmistus, tehniline töö, hoiustamine, etendamine ja publikuga kohtumine. Töö teoreetiline käsitlus näitas, et väiksemate koosseisude ja paindliku ruumikasutuse roll on Eesti teatrikultuuris pikaajaline. Tänapäeval on tööviisid ja tehnilised nõuded muutunud, kuid vajadus sobiva ja kättesaadava ruumilise toe järele on endiselt oluline. Teatrihoonete kavandamist käsitlevad allikad näitasid, et etenduskunstide maja ei saa koosneda ainult saalidest. Ian Appletoni käsitluse ning Creative Spaces Design Guide’i, Whitehorse Centre’i planeerimisdokumendi ja Wengeri etendusruumide juhendi põhjal on olulised ka proovisaalid, töö- ja tehnilised ruumid, hoiustamine, garderoobid, avalikud kohtumisruumid ning saalide paindlik kasutus. Käesolevas projektis väljendub see suurema ja väiksema saali ning neid toetavate ruumide ühendamises üheks toimivaks töömajaks. Referentsobjektide analüüs aitas seda põhimõtet arhitektuurselt täpsustada. The Court Theatre kinnitas töömaja mudeli sobivust, kus etendamine ja lavastuse ettevalmistamine toimuvad ühe hoone sees. PAC NYC näitas, et paindlik saalilahendus saab anda erinevatele lavastusvormidele ruumilise valikuvabaduse. Taipei Performing Arts Center toetas mõtet kultuurihoonest kui avalikust ja linnas nähtavast tervikust. OMA Parc de la Villette’i võistlusettepanek aitas mõtestada hoonet ümbritsevat pargiala mitmekesise avaliku ruumina, mis ei ole ainult hoone taust, vaid osa kogu projektist. Projektlahenduse kujunemisel oli oluline autori läbi viidud küsitlus, mille tulemused on põhjalikumalt esitatud töö lisas 1. Vastused kinnitasid, et väiketeatrite ja projektipõhiste loojate töö on sageli ruumiliselt killustunud: proovide, tehnilise ettevalmistuse, hoiustamise ja etendamise jaoks kasutatakse erinevaid ajutisi kohti. Sellest tulenevalt täpsustus ka projekti teema. Varasemast mikroteatri ideest kujunes etenduskunstide töömaja – väiketeatrite maja, mille eesmärk on pakkuda mitte ühte kitsast etendusformaati, vaid terviklikku loome- ja esitamiskeskkonda. Kavandatavas hoones ühendatakse suurem eksperimentaalne teatrisaal, väiksem paindliku kasutusega saal, proovisaalid, töö- ja tehnilised ruumid ning avalikud kohtumisruumid. Hoone arhitektuurne kontseptsioon lähtub Emajõest ja selle äärsest linnaruumist. Dünaamilise linnu kujund väljendub liikuvana mõjuvas skulpturaalses vormis, mille keskseks rõhuks on lavatorn. Hoone avalikumad osad avanevad väliruumi poole, samal ajal kui saalid ja tehnilised ruumid paiknevad kontrollituma iseloomuga mahtudes. Nii seob arhitektuurne vorm hoone avaliku tähenduse selle töömaja funktsiooniga. Sama idee jätkub planeeringulahenduses. Hoone ümber kavandatakse avalik pargiala, välilava, kohviku terrass ning liikumis- ja viibimisalad. Erineva iseloomuga pargialad loovad vahelduva väliruumi, mida saab kasutada nii igapäevaseks viibimiseks kui ka kultuurisündmusteks. Sellisel viisil ei piirdu etenduskunstide töömaja mõju hoone sisemusega, vaid ulatub ka seda ümbritsevasse avalikku ruumi. Soola tn 5b sobib projekti asukohaks, sest see paikneb Tartu kesklinna aktiivses osas Emajõe, avaturu, bussijaama ja olemasoleva Sadamateatri läheduses. Ala ajalooline kujunemine on seotud töö, liikumise, kaubanduse ja hiljem kultuurilise kasutusega, mistõttu haakub töömaja idee paiga varasema iseloomuga. Samal ajal nõuab jõeäärne asukoht edasises projekteerimises tähelepanelikku arvestamist kaldaruumi, tehnovõrkude, maa-aluse parkla ja teiste piirangutega. Etenduskunstide töömaja – väiketeatrite maja kujuneb seega lahenduseks, kus teoreetilised lähtekohad, referentsobjektidest saadud põhimõtted, sihtrühma vajadused, arhitektuurne kontseptsioon ja asukoha võimalused moodustavad ühe terviku. Projekt loob väiksematele etenduskunstide tegutsejatele vajaliku töö- ja etendamiskeskkonna ning annab Soola tn 5b alale uue avaliku kultuurilise tähenduse. This graduation thesis, entitled Development of an Architectural Design Proposal for a Performing Arts Workshop – A House for Small Theatres, presents an architectural and planning proposal for a new performing arts building at 5b Soola Street in Tartu, Estonia. The project addresses the spatial needs of small theatres, project-based companies, freelance performing artists and other creators whose work depends on flexible forms of organisation. Its starting point is that a performance does not emerge only in an auditorium. It develops through rehearsals, technical preparation, creative work, storage, collaboration and interaction with audiences. When these activities take place in temporary and separate locations, the creative process becomes more difficult and less stable. The need for the project was clarified through a survey conducted by the author between February and March 2026. The survey received responses from 25 people active in the performing arts field. The respondents included representatives of small theatres and project-based companies, freelance performing artists and an improvisational theatre group. Twenty-one respondents reported recurring spatial difficulties. The most common problems were unstable access to rehearsal rooms, the use of different spaces for different projects, the separation of rehearsal and performance locations, and the time and cost required for transporting equipment and preparing temporary venues. The survey results, presented in greater detail in Appendix 1 of the thesis, showed that the central problem is not simply the lack of a suitable performance hall. There is a need for a coherent working environment in which rehearsal, preparation, storage, technical work and public performance can be connected. The subject of the thesis became more precise during the design process. The early idea was related to small-scale theatre formats and was initially described as a house for microtheatres. Further development showed that the proposed building should not be limited to one particular type of intimate performance. The final concept was therefore defined as a Performing Arts Workshop – A House for Small Theatres. The term workshop emphasises the importance of everyday creative work, while house for small theatres identifies the users for whom the building is designed. The theoretical part of the thesis relates this need to the development of Estonian theatre culture and to contemporary theatre architecture. The early histories of Vanemuine and Endla demonstrate that smaller ensembles and adaptable spaces have long contributed to the development of Estonian theatre. Contemporary theatre practice is technically more demanding, but smaller organisations still need accessible spaces that support continuous creative work. Sources on the design of performing arts buildings show that a functioning theatre requires more than auditoria. Rehearsal rooms, workspaces, dressing rooms, storage, technical facilities, clear circulation, public meeting spaces and suitable acoustic conditions are all essential. In the proposed building, flexibility does not mean that every space serves every purpose. Instead, spaces are designed with clear primary functions while allowing different artistic uses where appropriate. The architectural and functional principles of the project were further developed through four reference studies. The Court Theatre in Christchurch provided the closest functional reference because it combines a main auditorium, a smaller theatre, rehearsal and production facilities, technical functions and public areas in one integrated building. The Perelman Performing Arts Center in New York demonstrated how adaptable performance spaces can support different relationships between performers and audiences. Taipei Performing Arts Center showed how a theatre can operate as a publicly visible architectural and cultural system in the city. OMA’s competition proposal for Parc de la Villette informed the landscape approach by demonstrating that exterior space can consist of different spatial characters rather than uniform greenery around a building. These references were not copied formally; they helped define the principles of integrated production, adaptability, public accessibility and the equal importance of building and landscape. The proposed building contains a 330-seat experimental theatre hall and a smaller 158-seat hall. The larger hall is intended for performances with a broader technical scope and audience capacity, while the smaller hall supports more intimate and experimental forms of performance. The halls are supported by rehearsal rooms, creative workspaces, dressing and make-up rooms, storage spaces and technical facilities. Public functions include a foyer, an art centre, exhibition areas, a café and an outdoor terrace. Together, these spaces create a shared environment in which smaller performing arts groups can prepare, develop and present their work within one building. The architectural concept is based on the River Emajõgi as an important spatial axis of Tartu. The site is located in an active part of the city, close to the river, the open-air market, the bus station, the existing Sadamateater, the AHHAA Science Centre, Plasku and Tigutorn. The proposed building introduces a new cultural focal point into this setting. Its formal idea is derived from the image of a dynamic bird, expressed through a moving and sculptural composition rather than a literal figure. The stage tower forms the principal vertical element of the building: it responds to the technical needs of the main hall while also giving the building a recognisable presence in the cityscape. Transparent public areas open towards the exterior space, while more enclosed volumes provide the controlled conditions required for performance and technical work. The concept continues in the planned exterior space. A public park, an outdoor stage, a café terrace and areas for movement and staying are proposed around the building. The park contains different spatial characters, conceptually referred to as the desert, forest, oasis, egg and flower field. These create varied atmospheres and allow the surroundings of the building to support both everyday use and cultural events. The exterior space is therefore treated as an extension of the public function of the performing arts workshop. The choice of 5b Soola Street is supported by accessibility, historical identity and existing cultural use. The site is centrally located and already connected with performing arts through Sadamateater. Historically, the area was associated with the salt market, river landing activities, trade and later technical and industrial uses. The proposed project continues this active character by introducing a contemporary environment for creative work and public cultural life. At the same time, the riverside location requires further attention to shoreline restrictions, public access, technical networks and planning requirements. The resulting proposal brings together the needs of small theatres, the principles of contemporary performing arts architecture, the architectural concept and the qualities of the site. The Performing Arts Workshop – A House for Small Theatres is designed as a stable and publicly visible environment for creative work, performance and encounter, adding a new cultural place to the riverside urban landscape of Tartu.