Rebuild La Mama by Meg White and Cottee Parker Architects | 2022 Victorian Architecture Awards 🔎🔍
🎞️ · 21.06.2023 · 04:00:30 ··· MiTTwoch ⭐ 0 🎬 0
📺National Architecture Awards
🎬 · 21.06.2023 · 04:00:30 ··· MiTTwoch
😎 · 03.07.2024 · 15:40:29 ··· MiTTwoch
The Rebuild La Mama project, led by Meg White and Cottee Parker Architects, is a testament to the resilience and cultural significance of La Mama Theatre. For over five decades, La Mama has been a cornerstone of the Australian independent theatre scene, hosting a myriad of performances, events, and artistic expressions. However, in May 2018, tragedy struck when the 130-year-old building was ravaged by fire, necessitating a thoughtful and ambitious reconstruction effort.
See all the 2022 entries here:
https://www.architecture.com.au/awards/2022-awards/victorian-chapter-2022-awards-entrant-gallery
The project sought to acknowledge the immense loss caused by the fire while embracing the unique opportunity for growth and transformation it presented. The primary objective was to restore the original building while significantly improving its facilities, accessibility, and support spaces for staff, artists, and patrons.
A generous public forecourt now graces the rebuilt La Mama Theatre, inviting visitors to engage with the space. In-built seating, native trees, and welcoming steps provide a gathering place for people to sit, perform, and enjoy the vibrant atmosphere. A striking mural by Aretha Brown boldly adorns the boundary wall, adding a touch of artistic expression. A sliding fence reveals a raised courtyard, offering an additional space for patrons and artists to connect before and after performances.
The new building pays homage to the simplicity and restrained aesthetic of its predecessor. Mottled charcoal brickwork serves as a reminder of the event that sparked its creation, while also framing the view to showcase the majestic redbrick original building that graciously overshadows it. The new structure introduces a rotated version of the original form, bringing theater to the street with a small stage, curtain, and steps seamlessly integrated into its front elevation.
Rebuild La Mama provides an array of additional spaces, including a dedicated office, a rehearsal hub, a revitalized box office, a mezzanine for creative respite, a bridge link for contemplation, lifts for inclusivity across both levels, expanded theater facilities, accessible toilets, a shower, and a kitchenette. Extensive external areas complement the indoor spaces.
The design approach celebrates the personal, the handmade, the reclaimed, and the reinvented. The revitalized La Mama proudly incorporates works by staff, artists, and members of the rebuild team. Hand-restored charred beams and floorboards, murals created by a mix of old and new artists, and handmade lights, sinks, and chair covers contribute to a sense of artist-led ownership and community involvement. The project also directed funds toward the arts community during a challenging period, solidifying its significance beyond the physical structure.
The project's funding followed an unusual path, with the design envisioned and costed before raising money through donations from government bodies, philanthropists, and the La Mama Community. The needs of the project drove the fundraising efforts, prioritizing the future-proofing of La Mama, its spaces, and technical infrastructure. While value was diligently sought and fought for, the focus remained on ensuring La Mama's longevity and adaptability.
The design strongly emphasizes the repurposing of materials salvaged from the fire whenever feasible. Theatre floorboards find new life as lining for the box office, old joists become planter boxes, corrugated fencing iron clads the new box office, and salvaged bricks find a place within the walls of the new building. Environmentally sustainable design initiatives are also integrated, such as a water tank, solar panels, insulation, double glazing, and a paint interceptor.
The Australian Institute of Architects' Presentation to Juries provides a valuable platform for entrants in the 2022 Victorian Architecture Awards to engage with esteemed judges and showcase their nominated projects. This event features influential architects from across Australia, offering the public an opportunity to delve into the inspirations behind some of Victoria's most innovative buildings and gain insight into the architectural process from concept to construction.
To explore the entrants and winners of the 2022 Victorian Architecture Awards, you can visit the following links:
2022 Entrants Gallery
https://www.architecture.com.au/awards/2022-awards/victorian-chapter-2022-awards-entrant-gallery
2022 Winners Gallery
https://www.architecture.com.au/awards/2022-awards/2022-victorian-architecture-awards-winners.
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· 21.06.2023 · 04:00:30 ··· MiTTwoch
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