Otto Wagner: Modern Construction of Theaters

The construction of a theater seems to be accompanied by a series of insurmountable difficulties, and it is a widely held belief that an architect needs extraordinary experience to solve this task. However, the fact that this is not the case, and that the best theaters of their time were designed and built by artists who were solving such a task for the first time, is evidenced by Schinkel's royal theater in Berlin, Siccardsburg and van der Nüll’s Vienna opera, Garnier's Paris opera, and many others.
To construct a theater, an architect needs not only significant artistic qualities but also a great level of understanding, allowing him to adapt to the ever-changing forms of requirements. That this is possible even for laymen, who then collaborate in the construction, is demonstrated by Richard Wagner, who, together with Semper, created the Bayreuth theater.
However, we must assume that artistic quality combined with understanding, which accurately captures the requirements and finds a way to solve them, is necessary for the builder-artist when executing any of his works; from which it follows that the best theatrical buildings can always be created only by the best architects.
I assert that good, artistic, and correct constructive solutions for theaters, and thus progress in their construction, can be expected more readily if a larger number of artists are given the opportunity to engage with this task.
For clarity's sake, the theme will be briefly discussed in the following order: purpose, safety, comfort, visibility, acoustics, heating, and ventilation.
First and foremost, one must consider the purpose of the building, since a theater that meets various purposes is an impossibility. It is evident that, for example, a theater for comedies must be different from a theater for grand opera performances; therefore, theaters in small towns, for which the purpose cannot be precisely determined, can hardly meet all the requirements.
The possibility of organizing various types of performances and utilizing actors and singers sufficiently demonstrates the nature of the task to build a truly functional theater. Similarly, the surrounding terrain, the relatively large desired number of boxes or seats, etc., influences the building. If the task is to achieve the most favorable execution of certain pieces on stage and to see and hear perfectly in the audience, entirely new forms will arise from the effort to achieve this purpose and eliminate the shortcomings of existing theaters. There is no doubt that the disposition of the Bayreuth theater arose in this way.
The fires in theaters, caused by panic, and the consequent requirement for the possibility of quick evacuation have also had a significant influence on the floor plan of the theater and have led to relatively strict police regulations in our country. Today, the issue of theater fire can almost be considered resolved. If it is possible to quickly and completely separate the stage from the auditorium and adjacent theater rooms (devices for this will be placed in future theaters) and if the stage is equipped with vents, also controllable from the backstage, future theater fires will be limited to mere stage fires and will become a matter solely for insurance companies. Loss of life is hardly likely to occur. Panics that can arise for various reasons can never be completely prevented. By establishing numerous good and comfortable stairways and exits for every seating arrangement and safe “rescue areas” around the auditorium, alongside police regulations that the building must be free from all sides, all possible measures have been taken today, at least in our country, in this regard.
As for the auditorium: the use of the side wall of the auditorium for boxes in so many theaters is absolutely wrong; many of those who were assigned to sit behind a lady with a large hat, leaning from the box, cursed in their hearts the architect who designed the building. The requirement of the spectator to see the action on stage without excessive strain on the neck muscles is certainly justified.
The lighting of the stage, especially the proscenium – naturally, one can only discuss electric light – can be better than ever carried out with a few lighting fixtures with reflectors, placed at the ceiling of the auditorium.
Also, the issue of acoustics, generally almost overlooked due to its mystical obscurity, can now be considered completely resolved. The funnel-shaped design of the auditorium, the elimination of significant corners and angles, and the flat design of the ceiling and wall decorations prevent any echo; all sound waves striking the wall get scattered so that they can no longer disturb.
At the same time, it is worth noting that the heating of the theater should be designed so that a constant wave movement of air in the auditorium does not arise; thus, heat and fresh air supplies should be distributedly placed, allowing sound waves to remain undisturbed in their straight movement. The same applies to air extraction; it must also be decentralized as much as possible, for only in this way can disturbances in sound waves and other unpleasant effects be avoided.
What I have stated here is probably the most necessary to answer the question: how should theaters be built?

Translated by Jaroslav Rössler.