Reviving History: The Renovation of Dongpo Theatre

Xin Hu and Yuting Jin's Award-Winning Transformation of a Forgotten City Landmark

The Dongpo Theatre, located on the side of Westlake in Hangzhou, had been gradually forgotten by the city amidst its bustling commerce. Opened in 1992, the theatre had seen the city's rapid development and bore the marks of various times. Xin Hu and Yuting Jin's renovation breathed new life into this ageing theatre, restoring its relevance and vitality.

The designers aimed to gradually remove the heavy historical trace of the building by subtraction. They abandoned useless decoration, kept the imprint of different times, and returned the architecture to its initial state, thereby releasing the lost space. The audience, they hoped, would feel like they were watching the historical play named White Snake in a cave, completely immersed in the play amidst a surreal atmosphere.

The renovation involved reorganizing the hall space of the beams, columns, and equipment to make everything plain and orderly. The lounge, once bustling, was quieted down, with the wall's vertical texture of the concrete fibreboard and strong stair railings serving as a tribute to the memory of history. The auditorium appeared more open after the release of the space, with the concrete, the black steel, and the firefly-like lighting seeming to be in ancient caves, all for the sake of the repertoire.

Despite the project's tight timeline, the design team managed to overcome the challenges. The project took one month to dismantle and construct the structure, and two months to install the electrical and mechanical equipment and internal decoration. The total construction period was three months, and the project location was in Hangzhou, China.

The renovation of the Dongpo Theatre is a testament to the power of design in reviving historical landmarks. This project not only brought new life to a forgotten theatre but also won the prestigious Silver A' Interior Space, Retail and Exhibition Design Award in 2020. It is a shining example of how design can restore cultural and historical memories, creating spaces that immerse audiences in the power and weight of the play itself.