INSIGHTS

2019.09.20

R&D DISCUSSION Vol. 17

The present and future of theater space
Research on Plaza Spaces Vol.3 [Part 2]

Masaji Ito + Kenji Maruyama Theater Workshop Co., Ltd.

R&D DISCUSSION TOP

Top image: Ikebukuro West Exit Park Project (scheduled to open in 2019, designed by Mitsubishi Jisho Design and Landscape Design Plus)

Q: What do you think are the current trends since the 21st century?

A: As mentioned earlier, in terms of the hardware side (construction plans), facility repair and reconstruction plans are thriving. There are many aging facilities all over the country, and especially since the Great East Japan Earthquake, earthquake-proofing and measures to prevent ceiling collapse have been implemented at a rapid pace. However, as you know, the recent rise in construction costs has become serious, and construction bids have been unsuccessful in many places. The construction industry is also at a major turning point, with new ordering methods and other changes.

In addition, as a public facility, it is characterized by its integration with other functions and long-term business. In addition to cultural facilities such as libraries and art museums, it is also being integrated with sports, welfare, tourism, etc. For example, Yamato City Arts Creation Center Sirius (2016) [Photo 1] is a building that combines a hall (1000-seat main hall + sub-hall that can also be used as a flat floor), library, childcare support, and lifelong learning functions, and has a very high occupancy rate with 3 million visitors per year. Suntory Hall (2000 seats + 400 seats) also has an annual occupancy rate of 600,000 people, so Sirius is a very large number, although the library is also a big factor. Nowadays, public facilities are attracting a lot of attention because the number of users and occupancy rate are being strictly scrutinized. In addition, it is becoming more common to install them in large-scale urban redevelopment projects. The establishment of halls and theaters is also a factor in the increasing relaxation of floor area ratios. The introduction of private vitality, such as the use of the PFI method, the equivalent exchange method, and the fixed-term leasehold method, has also become common. A recent example is the Shibuya Public Hall reconstruction project (scheduled to open in October 2019). Instead of building an apartment building on the site, the ward office and hall will also be built, rebuilding the aging public facility at no cost to the ward.

Recently, there has been a particularly high demand for MICE facilities. MICE stands for Meeting (conferences, training, seminars), Incentive tour, Convention or Conference (international conferences, academic conferences), Exhibition or Event, and is essentially a meeting facility. Facilities currently being planned and constructed include the Mito City Civic Hall, which seats 2,000, the Himeji City Cultural Convention Center, which seats 2,000, and the Kumamoto Castle Hall, which seats 2,300. There are also an increasing number of facilities requiring 3,000 seats for international conferences. Nakano Sun Plaza, which is currently under consideration for reconstruction, has withdrawn its initial plan for a 10,000-seat arena, and is now planning to build a hall with a capacity of 2,000 to 3,000. In addition, Kamaishi Civic Hall TETTO (2017) [Photo 2-4] was built with the aim of restoring cultural functions and disaster prevention functions in the earthquake recovery effort.

Regarding the soft side (management and operation plans), the legal framework for a cultural and artistic nation and the subsidy system are being improved. The designated manager system has also been reviewed, and private companies like us can now participate in the management of public halls, and we currently operate four public halls. The education system is also improving. In 2021, Hyogo Prefecture plans to open a professional university specializing in theater and tourism, with playwright Oriza Hirata as president. In fact, I have been involved in "art management education" at universities since around 1990. People who work in theaters do not need qualifications, but the stage is actually a dangerous workplace. I think theater management education will become increasingly necessary. Currently, theater technicians' specialties are mainly in the three departments of stage art (props), lighting, and sound, but I think the proportion of video (projection) will increase in the future.

[Photo 1] Yamato City Arts and Creation Center Sirius
(Opening: 2018 / Design: Sato Sogo Keikaku + Shimizu Corporation / Theater Consulting: Theater Workshop)
[Photo 2-4] Kamaishi Civic Hall TETTO
(Opened: 2017 / Design: aat + Yokomizo Makoto Architectural Design / Theatre Consulting: Theatre Workshop)

Q: What are your prospects for the future of theaters and halls?

A: The following six keywords have been identified for the fourth generation, the next-generation theaters and halls that we are aiming for in the 2020s.

1. An artistic life in an artistic town
We want to break down the barriers between art genres so that the theater can become a space for everyone, not just for people who love performing arts, and realize a lifestyle where art is a part of everyday life, including lifestyle and food culture. We want to create a town where artists live close to each other and you can get a glimpse of their creative process. For example, Ogimachi Museum Cube, scheduled to open in 2022, is a complex centered around a general hospital, with a theater, cafe, kitchen studio, and children's English conversation school. We are also starting a new initiative to combine hospitals with art and culture.

2. Establishment of a cultural movement
We are thinking of creating a system and organization that will expand the base and gradually raise the top, like an art version of the J-League soccer club organization. To do this, we need support from the government and experts. In other words, we are trying to establish a movement that will comprehensively carry out what the first, second, and third generations have done partly.

3. New Music Hall
Classical music is not the only kind of music, but existing music halls, especially public halls, are biased towards classical music. There are many pop fans among the younger generation, and rock has already become established as a form of music. However, in halls that emphasize classical music, it is difficult to use them because the acoustics are completely different from those of classical music. I think there should be more halls dedicated to music that use electric acoustics, like live music venues and clubs.

4. Theater Complex
We are proposing a facility that replaces the 10 or so movie theaters in the "cinema complex" with "theaters." In order to create new performing arts works, like a performing arts center, a creative space is essential for various rehearsals, the production of props and costumes, and sound production. It would be best to use the theater for a long period of time and create works using an actual theater, but there is no such place. Especially for amateur theater companies, a small theater is fine, so a hall that can be rented for a long period of time is necessary. Rather than creating one theater with a delicate number of seats of 600 in the city center, I think that 6 theaters with 100 seats each would have a higher utilization rate. If multiple small theaters are gathered together, one of them will perform every day, so the audience can watch some kind of performance at any time, like a multiplex. In addition, since it is easy for artists to interact with each other, we can expect even more new activities to develop.

5. The ultimate dedicated theater/ultra-multipurpose hall
I think the ultimate dedicated theater, which has been perfected to the max, is one that is built for one production. As you know, the Shiki Theatre Company's Cats Theater is still being built all over the country, and Cirque du Soleil's "O" Theater in Las Vegas, USA is also famous. Meanwhile, the Cirque du Soleil theater in the Disney Resort in Maihama was renovated in 2012 and is now a multi-purpose hall called the Maihama Amphitheater, which has a high occupancy rate. It features a semicircular stage and bowl-shaped seating, and its excellent location means that it can be used for a wide range of purposes, not just music concerts, but also ceremonies, lectures, fashion shows, and more. Conventional multi-purpose halls meant versatility for a variety of performing arts genres, but halls that cover uses beyond the scope of performing arts have also been born.

6. Searching for an attractive theatrical space
We want to make more use of spaces that have drama in themselves or that have historical weight as theater spaces. One famous example is the remains of an underground Oya stone mine. Modern architecture would never be able to compete with such a place. "Sleep No More," which is being performed off-Broadway in New York, is a play that uses the entire hotel. The story unfolds simultaneously in each guest room, so the audience cannot see everything. Everyone who has been there says they want to see it again. As people who originally loved show business, we get very excited about things like this. Turning non-theater spaces into theaters will make them one-of-a-kind theater spaces. We are entering an era where every place can become an attractive "new square."

[Photos 5-6] One of the ongoing projects produced by Theatre Workshop
"TACHIKAWA STAGEGARDEN (scheduled to open in spring 2020/design: Yamashita Design)."
A 2,500-seat music hall specializing in pop music is planned to be built in the "Tachihi Midori District (Tentative name)" currently under development north of Tachikawa Station.
[Photo 7] The aging park in front of Ikebukuro Station will be redeveloped into a circular theater plaza.
For the Ikebukuro West Exit Park Project, we are providing consulting services for the stage building to be used as a theater.

[Photos 1-6: Reprinted from the Theatre Workshop website]

Back to Part 1

PROFILE

representative

Theatre Workshop Inc.

Masaji Ito

Masaji Ito

Born in Chiba Prefecture in 1952. Graduated from the Department of Architecture, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Waseda University. Studied theaters and halls at the graduate school. While enrolled, worked as a part-time researcher for the Agency for Cultural Affairs' (Tentative name) Second National Theater (now New National Theater) Establishment Preparation Office. Founded Theater Workshop in 1983 when planning the Kagawa Prefectural Hall. Member of the Architectural Institute of Japan and the Japan Institute of Architects. Director of the Theatre and Spatial Technology Association. Vice Chairman of the Japan Center for International Organization of Theater Arts, Chairman of the Architecture and Technology Committee. Received the Architectural Institute of Japan Award (Achievement) in 2008 for "Establishing theater consulting as a profession and a series of achievements."

Executive Officer

Theatre Workshop Inc.

Kenji Maruyama

Kenji Maruyama

Born in Tokyo in 1980. He met the company president, Ito, while studying at Waseda University's School of Literature. After graduating, he got a job at a video production company. He was in the PR department and was also involved in event projects. After that, he participated in a manufacturer's urban development project as a cultural entertainment specialist, and then joined Theatre Workshop.

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Update : 2018.09.21

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