Malmö City Theater – Hippodrome

Café and studio create a lively street facade

By creating a connection between the theater and the street, the renovation has given the theater a clearer identity towards the street. Previously, there was no public entrance from Kalendegatan to the theater, but by converting one of the rooms facing the street into a cafe, formerly a wig shop, and opening up a pedestrian connection, the theater now has a link to the street. In addition, the former ticket office has been converted into a new studio studio that can be used for workshops, concerts, children’s performances and seminars. The cafe and studio keep their windows facing the street, which gives the theater a lively street facade. Plywood joinery, patinated copper worktops and playful light fixtures enhance windows, floor surfaces, cornices and balustrades in the café. Intimate rooms on the second floor provide space for small group gatherings, meetings and parties.

Courtyard for mingling, workshops and performances

A new glazed courtyard, partially covering an existing courtyard, links the auditorium with the street and creates an inviting sequence between the new entrance and the renovated theater foyers. The courtyard room acts as a square for the theater and becomes a place for mingling, workshops and performances, as well as part of the foyer during performances. The courtyard can be opened up to the rest of the courtyard through a folding glass wall, which allows the courtyard’s playground to flow out and create a seamless transition between inside and outside. The new link building consists of a primary structure of steel that provides support for roof beams of frame-sawn wood in a fine-meshed rhythm. The wooden beams gently sweep in a fan shape to match the complex geometry of the existing brick facades. The room can be viewed from a balcony that is accessed from the café.

Theatrical atmosphere and increased capacity

In what used to be the equestrian corridor during the circus era, a theater foyer has now been created that encloses the theater room and forms a horseshoe shape in plan. The cloakroom and bar are now embedded under the visible grade meadow, which is clad in plywood and with exposed structural steel. The oxblood red walls, fan-shaped wooden beams and copper lampshades and bar counters create a theatrical atmosphere that prepares the visitors for the performance. The toilets in the basement have also been reorganized to increase capacity and meet the existing Bremer vaults.

Improved intimacy and accessibility

Through the renovation, the theatre’s auditorium has been redesigned within the framework of the previous form, which has created a new geometry for the seats in the shape of a horseshoe that is adapted to the original circus plan which is in the shape of a dodecagon. This has improved both audience intimacy and accessibility while anchoring the theater in its historical context.

The demountable proscenium provides greater artistic flexibility for different types of scenes and performances. A pair of alternative entrances from the lounge seating lead directly to the foyer, providing additional opportunities for audience and performers to move between. A new upper balcony level increases audience capacity and provides additional technical opportunities for light and sound systems. The combination of movable seats and retractable terrace, together with the new balcony level in the auditorium, has increased the audience capacity by over 100 seats, to 520 seats. The new geometry of the auditorium highlights the original circus space and anchors the theater in its historical context, while offering opportunities to create theatrical works in a unique and inclusive space rich in cultural memories.

New palette and recycled materials

The architectural details throughout the building are robust and honest. The patina and quality of the existing surfaces is preserved and a new palette is introduced with red oxide structural steel, plywood joinery, frame sawn pine beams and ribbed timber walls. Recycled cotton from old denim clothes is used as acoustic felt along with renovated concrete floors, recycled rubber floors and restored brick. These materials will age gracefully, and combined with raw welds, bolts, joints, pipes and cables, will be like a visible barcode of the theatre’s craftsmanship.