The YOUNG theatre is reenergized from Yangpu grand theatre by VF

The fresh spring is light’s intimate friend.

The hazy dream is brewing in the warm dawn. 

It is always like the first time when they meet.

What will happen when history and art are combined? The old building would be regarded as the inspiration source to contemporary art rather than historical relics.

From Huangxing road to Kongjiang road, the retrofit Yangpu theatre, surrounded by an old residential area and without any skyscrapers, is distinguishable.

This spring, leaving for 4 years, that the new YOUNG theatre is launched means yangpu theatre etched on one generation’s memory officially returns to the public.

The retrofit theatre, including one main theatre with 1020 seats and a small theatre with 168 seats, under the basis of regarding drama as core, and united art from various fields as extension, presents vigorous, advanced and multiple artistic work through building an attractive and practical platform for young artist to generate a no border theatre and achieve the interaction between region and community. It is VF’s honor to supply lighting service for this project, and hope that the sense to art and life will be waked by light and a warm space will be built.

The big steps at the entrance have been removed in the retrofit YOUNG theatre but the curves of the original entrance remained, which make visual memory more extended, and theatre more relatable.

The transparent window, glass-cased wall and Ceramic curtain wall replace former brick wall, which make an echo between strict line and industrial basis lasting 100 century. The Ceramic rob in different density and length and the white space between solid wall and glass-cased wall create a sense of order to the building.

The POYO, surface mounting downlight (32W 40D 3000K), used on the entrance canopy, not only can satisfy the high luminance requirement in large-scale space but also supply a comfortable light to outdoor environment under a great IP Rating-IP65. When the theatre is lit up, the lights combined with the sunlight form rich light and shadow changes to add penetration and three-dimensionality to construction.

Pureness and openness break the secret between light and shadow in the space.

The lights spatter in April to bring pleasant romance.

The ballade of light is the old memory and also the new resonance.

Lobby

Against the backdrop of large glass, the lobby shows openness, integrity and interactivity. Lighting design focuses on the rational use of natural lighting and artificial lighting, combining with indirect lighting, direct lighting and wall-washing lighting to make a warm and comfortable art space.

During the day, the sunshine adds a touch of tenderness to the theatre. At dusk, the warm light shining from glass-cased wall meets the natural lights creating a visual sense of transparency in the space.

Stepping into the lobby, as far as you can see is a starry sky composed of 190 LINNOU downlights, 3W 31D 3000K. The stars make the space extraordinarily gentle and quiet. The hidden LINA II, light strip 3000K, not only outlines the structure of the ceiling, but also increases layers in the starry sky.

The ALPS downlight, an asymmetric wall-washer, 35W 40D 3000K, evenly illuminates wooden grille, which can highlight the wooden texture. The glass-cased wall and the light and shadow penetrating wooden grille create a visual sense of transparency and extension, like opening a wonderful encounter between light and starry sky.

Besides, the MIZAR, a wall-washer recessed linear light 35W 15x46° 3000K, washes the wooden wall to emphasize three-dimensionality sense. In the corridor, the ALPS downlight, 12W 28D 3000K, is used to satisfy basic illumination.

The GLEAM, a foot light 3W 3000K, installed on the stairs, strengthens the stair lines and creates a sense of extension when walking upwards through its round facula. The glimmers that cast on the stairs add light guidance to the audience. Soft lights mingle with white walls and textured wooden banister conveying a warm feeling to audience.

Touch to feel the visual feast weaved by light and shadow in the space

Find the art hiding in details and the order integrating into space.

Listen to music, and treasure the light melody and the changes between color and light.

Main theatre

The interior design in main theatre adheres to the principle of symmetry and balance with the ceiling as the visual center, fluttering wooden strips as wall in two sides, and colorful auditorium. The lights give layers and delicacy to the space, which make the space is functional and aesthetic, creating a warm atmosphere to form a vivid and vigorous sense in the space expression.

Lighting design also pays attention to different light model to satisfy various demands. The ALPS downlight, 25W 33D 3000K, focus on lightening wall and auditorium is also brighten at the meantime. Pouring from above, the wooden texture and the fluttering lines are emphasized by lights, which presents an undulate effect and express the rhythm and the feeling of the melody.

The ALPS downlights, 50W 28D 3000K, supply the basic illumination to auditorium. Strict control to glare and luminance satisfies the light demands in the theatre and improves the space quality, which make audience feel like they are a member of drama.

Small theatre

The lines full of rhythm convey and improve the drama influence in the space. The recessed LINA12, a linear lights 3000K, integrated with wall, could not be seen when lighting, which not only emphasize the wall texture without damaging the light and shadow to create a warm and relaxing atmosphere.

The POYO downlights on the ceiling, surface mounting 25W 50D 3000K, supply basic illumination in this space. The audience can feel the overlap of time and the fusion of art from wall washing illumination with regular arrangement and the rhythm of lines, which can shorten the distance between the participants and audience.

The retrofit Yangpu grand theatre makes the original elements more versatile and makes original appearance more elegant and smooth to suit the demands of time and imbue the ‘YOUNG’ elements in the old block. The new idea to the future is shaping, the memory is waken and the city space is activated to bring new life through the dynamic interaction between light and construction and the citizen’s spirit life also starts YOUNG.

In the future, VF will continuously stick to the mission, “use light, improve living environment and add value for users”, to make comfortable and great light experience as cultural label in many citise.

Project information: 

Project: YOUNG theatre, Shanghai, China.

Project Address: Kongjiang road 1155, Yangpu district, Shanghai, China.

Architectural/ Interior design: Tongji Architectural Design (Group) Co., Ltd.

Lighting design: Tongji Architectural Design (Group) Co., Ltd.

Deepening lighting design:Shanghai Luoman lighting technologie