• • 16 May 2015
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  •  Peninah Mutonga
• Cultural Centres , Selected Works , Contemporary African Directory , Contemporary ,

Designed for one of the smallest countries in middle Africa, the National Theatre of Equatorial Guinea acts as a cultural hub sited in the city of Oyala- one set to become the capital of an impoverished and ironically oil-rich West African nation.

IAD- Independent Architectural Diplomacy, a spanish firm known for their striking and innovative designs, set out to define a form that is both poetic and iconic, as a constant reminder of the country’s contemporary culture to represent Equatorial Guinea at an international level. The design’s merit is in metaphorically seeking to express and soften the complicated socio-economic hierarchy of the country within its form.

The multifunctional theatre designed to host various events has its shape and form inspired by the waxing and waning moon as well as the intangible likes of Debussy’s Clair de Lune.

Consisting of smooth and ever-changing geometry, the building develops an iconic and recognizable language as well as seeking to achieve a dual nature; on the public side, the gibbous curve rises from the landscape, and the crescent shape both embraces and contains the public entrance, main hall, auditorium and stage, creating an open urban space with the transparent curve, while on the technical side, facilities are hidden in the tectonic mass.

While the sweeping planes and sensuous curves capture warm light for the interior spaces, a green embankment to the back of the building further invites the public to find a refreshing balance between nature and building.

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    © IAD-National Theater of Equatorial Guinea -appr...

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    © IAD-National Theater of Equatorial Guinea -main...

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    © IAD-National Theater of Equatorial Guinea

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    © IAD-National Theater of Equatorial Guinea -sketch

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    © IAD-National Theater of Equatorial Guinea -plan

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    © IAD-National Theater of Equatorial Guinea -aeri...