The City and Performance Spaces -Performance Spaces as Urban Catalysts…

All arts are essential expressions of human existence. Performing- Arts in particular, have evolved as a primary manifestation of their respective cultures. The collective nature of performing arts renders it public, making it’s role vital in built environments that actively generates the specific image and vision of the place and the city. A chronological examination of performance spaces reveals that they have evolved progressively as technically advanced-closed isolated boxes through time, enabling one to create and conduct the most imaginative performances. Hence, performance spaces are as important a tool for a good performance as a well-tuned instrument to an artist. While their typology requires performance spaces to be a closed box, they are also inherently public spaces. The challenge then is to be able to house this instrument along with public spaces in their respective contexts, where place and performance both are informed by one-another.