Theatre built to withstand avalanches in the middle of the Swiss Alps
While most city theatres are usually built just a train or car ride away, a unique new performance space in Switzerland requires a bit more effort to get there in time for curtains.
In the middle of the Swiss Alps, the new tower-style theatre, a striking red multi-storey building was created by the organisers of the Origen Festival, a major cultural festival in Switzerland.
Located at an altitude of 2300 metres, the building, weighing 410 tons, was constructed to withstand the strong winds and avalanches that it is quite likely to face at the foothills of a mountain range.
“The theatre tower sets new standards for theatre architecture and is a counter project to the closed theatre buildings in the cities,” the organisers said.
The Red Tower theatre in the Swiss Alps. Photo: Origen Festival
The theatre can hold up to 250 people, but it’s not your regular seating configuration either, with most of the audience perched in windows around the building, looking down on the stage.
While the outside weather will be harsh and temperamental, the organisers wanted to include this as part of the shows, and the windows allow for a large amount of natural light to come in.
The theatre, dubbed The Red Tower, is located in the Julierpass in the middle of the Swiss Alps, and is on the site of an ancient Roman Sanctuary, which was eventually replaced by a Christian chapel.
Most of the performances will begin during daylight and conclude at dusk in order to make the most of the surrounding landscape and setting sun.
“We thought it’s perhaps more interesting if you don’t have a big opera house to use nature as a big theme,” Origen Festival director Giovannia Netzer told Travel + Leisure magazine.
The building holds 250 in the audience, who sit and stand around the stage. Photo: Origen Festival
“The idea was to combine the atmosphere in the landscape with the performance you do on stage.”
This is reminiscent of performances back in William Shakespeare’s day, when plays would be timed to coincide with the setting of the sun.
The theatre’s performances will also change with the seasons and weather.
While it was built specifically for this year’s festival, the theatre will play host to shows up until 2020, with its temporary nature reflecting the “fleeting art form of theatre”.
Despite its solid construction, which is said to be able to resist winds of up to 240 km/hr, the organisers have said they require a further 1 million francs ($1.3 million) to fortify it against the upcoming European winter.
The Origen Festival is no stranger to weird and inventive performance spaces, with the company in 2006 renovating an entire castle to be used as an immersive theatre space.
