Ishøj Teater/Theatre

ENG

From the article Interwoven narratives by Merete Lind Mikkelsen, published in Arkitekten 05/2026:

(…) In Ishøj Theatre, the architects likewise have a good grasp of what colours can do for the ambience of a space. Here, it’s the combination of shapes and colours that makes the spaces so playful and comforting; a scary theatre performance doesn’t stick too deep in a young mind if the child afterwards steps out onto a red floor with windows set in children’s height that create a soothing intimacy.(…)

The architect’s own description:

In order to accommodate a relatively large building volume within a small village context, the lowest and most introverted spatial elements have been placed closest to the neighbouring dwellings, and through a sloping roof form the building has been scaled down towards its immediate surroundings. The building’s largest and most outward-facing spaces—such as the two halls and the café—are oriented towards the open landscape view and the surrounding fields. In this way, Ishøj Teater is anchored in the village, with tall trees at its back. The building welcomes visitors from the south with its distinctive curved glazed elements and the “timber curtains”, which also provide solar shading for the café’s small outdoor area. Large and small timber arches turn both upwards and downwards, referencing the comedy–tragedy masks known from the performing arts. They can also be understood as cut from the beam of a theatre spotlight, or as the proscenium curtains. Internally, the main auditorium at Ishøj Teater is designed as an intimate and flexible black box space with retractable seating. It is a robust space that can be reconfigured and used in many ways. The visitor’s journey through the building is also scenographically composed. Thus, it is the red curtains, the high views to the sky, the cropped low views towards the fields, that mediate the transition from everyday life to the world of theatre.

Edited by the editorial team.

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