Shakespeare Theater in Gdańsk by Renato Rizzi

The Globe can only be one. However, the popularity of Shakespeare's works extends beyond the banks of the Thames. One such space for staging Shakespeare's plays was completed by Venetian architect Renato Rizzi in Gdańsk, Poland (Gdański Teatr Szekspirowski). The dark perimeter walls of the rough masonry create an air of mystery. Equally impressive is the mechanism that opens the theater's roof, allowing performances to take place under the open sky.
The building stands on the edge of the historical center, which was destroyed during World War II. On the site of today's theater, there originally stood a fencing school that served wandering English actors for their performances since the 17th century. The school was later replaced by a theater, followed by residential buildings, until a synagogue was built here, which was demolished by the Nazis in 1939. The new theater was established based on an initiative backed in 1991 by British Crown Prince Charles. Fourteen years later, a competition was held, which was won by the project of Italian architect Renato Rizzi, who had previously worked for ten years in the office of Peter Eisenman. Rizzi's design is divided into two parts: the lower administrative section is separated from the higher auditorium by a stage tower with a rigging area. The massive dark walls with supporting pillars resemble a Gothic cathedral. The medieval form of the exterior was intended to aid in better understanding the atmosphere of London's popular theater. The auditorium is a reminiscence of classical Shakespearean theater. The building is set deep into the terrain, where the narrow gap between the theater and its surroundings can evoke a labyrinth. The roof of the lower museum section is publicly accessible and walkable. In contrast to the dark exterior, bright wooden cladding and plaster were used inside the auditorium. The strict symmetry of the building guides visitors and helps in easy orientation. For further temporal staging of the interior space, Rizzi was guided by his former colleague at the University of Venice, Aldo Rossi.

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