Cerebrum

- a new district -

The Toronto Port Lands site for the amphibious theatre is a 350m by 450m area, where the footprint of the theatre is very minimal relative to the overall site. Cerebrum looks at this large site as an urban project. The aim of the project is to create a new district subdivided into 9 equal islands with large canals running in between them.The overall concept of the theatre derives from the ever-changing nature of performances and the multisensory experience of theatre. This multisensory experience will encapsulate the entirety of the site.Cerebrum changes the traditional format of the theatre by separating the audience and the set where the audience plugs into a new world for each act.The floating and mobile theatre will contain only audience seating and the stage apron, while each of these 9 islands that the theatre docks upon house the stage and function as the fly tower or set. The project aims to glorify the fly tower, which houses lights, curtains, sets, scenery, and stage effects which are all hung and flying from a mechanical rigging system. Each island will be designed as a new environment/habitat where its landscape and built area will be different. The audience will enter the main island and check into the boat. Once all the audience boards the theater “ship” from the main island, they travel to and dock upon a different island for each scene, before returning to the main island at the end of the play.

Year: 2020

Design: Sky Ece Ulusoy

Instructor: Aleris Rodgers

Course: ARC2014 (Comprehensive Design Studio)