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Regional architecture defines a type of architecture that adapts to the everyday needs of a people and is constructed by the building methods and materials of the region. Regions do not have clear boundaries, but are largely defined by the conditions of nature: climate, soil, topography, vegetation, water. Through this thesis project I have tried to create a regional architecture in Indianapolis, Indiana that embraces the surrounding context, but does not imitate the architecture of the past, through a mixed-use building for everyday life. / Master of Architecture

Sometimes, the place where a play is performed is as important as or more important than the play itself. The first known theatrical rituals were performed in spaces which came to hold deep religious significance. Many religious traditions regard certain places as sacred because of spiritually significant events which took place there, sometimes involving the presence of Deity. In an effort to build on that sacrality, sometimes religious cultures bring theatre to these spaces, which, in turn, tend to alter the nature of the theatrical event. This seems especially true in regards to theatre which presents a re-enactment of the events which originally sacralized the performance space. Creating a theatrical performance at the same space, and recreating the same event which made the space sacred in the first place, gives the theatrical event a reflexive quality which performances in a space designated for theatre do not have. The Passion of Osiris in Ancient Egypt and the celebrations and commemorations of the early Christian Church are two examples of theatrical reenactments of sacred events in sacred spaces. Although such performances have been uncommon since those of the early Christians, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints offers two comparable performances today (the Hill Cumorah Pageant and the Nauvoo Pageant); they are also reenactments of sacred events framed by the sacred spaces where they originally occurred. The main commonality of my focus is the sacred physical space which frames each of the performances as a sort of ethereal proscenium arch or a silent witness of sacred events.

Les expériences théâtrales au-dehors sont multiples, à Paris et à New York entre 1913 et 1939, et plus largement dans l’ensemble du monde théâtral. Comment les interpréter, et les resituer dans l’histoire générale des formes théâtrales? Leur extrême diversité empêche tout discours homogène et invite à adopter une méthode d’analyse procédant par cas d’étude plutôt que par système. Cette thèse se propose de forger un concept opératoire, celui de « dehors », qui permettrait d’analyser ces formes et d’en restituer la polysémie. En se concentrant sur le contexte urbain et en faisant le choix d’une attitude comparatiste, cette étude vise à prendre en compte le spectacle des et dans les villes de Paris et New York, à un moment où les échanges entre les deux métropoles sont extrêmement féconds. Jacques Copeau, André Barsacq, le groupe Octobre, les représentations du Vray Mistère de la Passion dans les années 1930, les spectacles du Front Populaire, ou encore Jean-Richard Bloch sont quelques-unes des figures et des séances théâtrales sur lesquelles la partie française s’arrêtera. Pour le contexte américain, l’étude s’appuie notamment sur les expériences des Provincetown Players, sur la tradition des pageants et leur réorientation idéologique dans certains cas, sur les conceptions théâtrales de Percy MacKaye, sur les projects architecturaux de Friedrich Kiesler ou Norman Bel Geddes, mais aussi sur le Federal Theatre Project. L’objectif de cette thèse est ainsi d’analyser de quoi ces appropriations théâtrales diverses du dehors peuvent être le signe, au sein de quelle histoire théâtrale elles peuvent s’inscrire, et dans quelle mesure leur oubli relatif est révélateur, sur le plan tant esthétique que politique. / Many outdoor theatrical experiences could be observed in Paris and in New York, between 1913 and 1939 and, more broadly, in the whole theatrical world. How can we interpret them? And how can we insert them in the larger history of theatrical forms? Their extreme diversity prevents us from having a homogeneous discourse about them and calls for a method based on case studies more than on a systematic approach. This thesis aims at creating an operative concept, the « outdoor » concept (« dehors » in French), which will enable us to dig deeper into those theatrical forms and to restore their polysemy. By focusing on an urban context and by choosing a comparative approach, this thesis aspires to take into account the spectacle of the cities of Paris and New York and the spectacles in them, at a time when the exchanges between the two cities were very productive. Jacques Copeau, André Barsacq, the « groupe Octobre », the showings of the Vray Mistère de la Passion in the 1930s, the great shows during the Popular Front or Jean-Richard Bloch are some of the figures and theatrical events discussed in the first part of this work. The second part deals with the American context, it draws on experiences such as the Provincetown Players, the pageant tradition and its ideological shift, the theatrical vision of Percy MacKaye, the architectural projects of Friedrich Kiesler or Norman Bel Geddes, or the Federal Theatre Project. This thesis will hopefully help to understand these outdoor performances, what they indicate in terms of history and aesthetics and how their relatively cursory consideration can paradoxically be meaningful in several respects.

This thesis deals with the regeneration of an existing public square in Pretoria, formerly known as Strijdom Square. The document considers contemporary anthropological and urban design theory of good public spaces and argues that the presence of people is the key determinant in success of public space. The hypothesis argues that public spaces should be designed to draw human activity and accommodate basic human needs and wants including comfort, security and activity. The thesis proposes breaking the fourth wall of the State Theatre through the insertion of a filter building between the theatre and the public square. The proposed design celebrates the performing arts and aims to educate the public about the arts by providing opportunity to experience the magic of the theatre in everyday life. The architecture becomes a filter on every level, allowing visual and physical connections to the theatre and aims to make the theatre more accessible to all. / Dissertation (MArch(Prof))--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Architecture / unrestricted