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Light a London Landmark Competition
Shortlisted
National Theatre, Southbank, London
November 6th, 2019
On behalf of Arup London Lighting Team.
Design Description :
Every piece of art has a soul. The soul of the National Theatre is the combination of the incredible plays that have been staged here. The memory of these plays isn’t apparent from outside, the memory of past performances has the qualities of stained glass windows, traditionally seen in churches, they tell stories and give the church a soul.
This design seeks to create the unlikely connection between the concrete physical quality of the façade and the rich history it conceals, while also revealing the relationship between the main stage and backstage.
To select recognisable graphics and symbols from some of the National Theatre’s famous plays; such as His Dark Materials, War Horse, The Elephantom, etc., to create a narrative on the stained-glass gobo. Just like in the stained glass windows in classical churches, through the presence of light will bring the stories alive on the concrete façade.
As visitors will approach the Theatre from different directions, the view will be created where the backstage activities are revealed, normally hidden from the view of most audiences’ experience their story will also be told on the façade.
Imagine a sequence, where the artwork is revealed gradually, utilising subtractive colour mixing, the graphic will be partially hidden. Then the remaining parts of the projection will be revealed as if the sun is rising and setting at the end of the day. The sequence will also take a moment to zoom in creating a focus on particular facets of the stained glass revealing each of the stories, front of house and backstage. Finally, the facets will come together bringing the whole images into sharp focus, before fading to black as the curtain falls at the end of the stage.
Photography: Allan Toft