Nominated for the Mies van de Rohe European Architecture Award, 2019
Completed 2017
Markideio Theater, which began as a renovation, had to be located within the same structural frame of the existing theater which was quite set back from the street. To create a better connection with the existing urban fabric and the immediate neighborhood, two ‘arms’ extent out to the two surrounding streets. The one extension includes the public cafeteria that can accommodate both theater events and also occasional visitors. The other is a promenade, from the existing parking lot west of the building, that leads towards the second entrance into the theater. A public plaza is created between the two with a green plateau on the west side accessible to all visitors. An internal courtyard within the theater helps to maintain a connection with the outdoors and also accommodate events.
A shading device that’s installed along the south façade of both the promenade and the cafeteria helps to mitigate sunlight entering the building. It also helps to enrich the perception of the building form day and night and also different lighting conditions. The perforated metal used ‘hides’ the building from street view during the day but reveals it during the night when performances occur.
Photos by Marios Christodoulides, Charis Solomou