Teatru Manoel Gets Improved Sightlines and Bespoke Seating

Malta’s crown jewel, Teatru Manoel, was built in 1731 and today stands as Europe’s oldest working theatre. The Grade I listed theatre has been restored and rejuvenated several times in its history, and its most recent plan, spearheaded by the pan-European organisation Perspectiv Association of Historic Theatres of Europe, brought Sound Space Vision onto the project. SSV’s extensive experience with EU-wide tendering processes for theatre refurbishments was instrumental in our acquiring the consulting position.

The project, in collaboration with the Maltese firm Architecture Project Valletta (AP), was undertaken in two phases: Phase I, completed in 2017, was to remodel the stalls floor to improve sightlines, restore parterre boxes, increase accessibility, and integrate a lighting control desk into the hall. Phase II, between January and August 2018, was to provide new seating within the parterre boxes.

After reviewing the pre-Phase I rake in relation to the flat stage, SSV experimented with several options for changes to the rake to ameliorate the historically poor sightlines, settling on a gentle, three-part parabolic slope. This offered the best sightlines, provided accessibility for those with mobility difficulties, and restored the original sympathetic relationship between the floor and the stage.

Following historical precedents, AP introduced a parterre level of boxes between the columns around the stalls, providing a raised side audience, enclosing the stalls, and further emphasising the central volume.

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The previous layout extended seating out to the sides of the hall, behind the line of columns with a centre aisle draining energy from the stage as the performers face a large unoccupied space in the middle of their sightline. By eliminating the centre aisle and reshaping the layout, SSV provided a more cohesive, energetic, comfortable, and intimate form to the stalls level.

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Even with the use of temporary seating for the 2018 International Baroque Festival, the new parterre structure and three-part slope was immediately acknowledged by the Festival attendees as superior to the previous layout. This affirmation was followed by the tendering, purchase, manufacture, and installation of the seats throughout 2018. Once the tender was awarded to France’s Quinette Gallay, SSV worked closely on the manufacturing details to ensure the design goals were achieved.

The design of the seats is unique and bespoke, inspired by the individual curved-back wooden-framed seats of Baroque opera houses, yet using modern techniques to enable the rows to become benches which can be deployed to increase the stalls’ seat count by 18 people for popular performances. The seating also minimises floor fixings to avoid the new heating/cooling system that was built into the floor. Additionally, the seats can easily be removed and stored should the Manoel want a ballroom or standing audience.

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Phase II was completed with appropriately elegant new seating in time for the theatre’s 2018/19 season and its events as part of Valletta’s European Capital of Culture, and January 2019’s Baroque Festival.

The final result is a theatre with renewed life and 21st-century comfort; a harmonious seating plan which offers clean sightlines and a more intimate theatrical experience for both audience and performer; a flexible seat count; full accessibility to any area on the ground floor; valuable floor space for a control desk; and seating designed to match the style and décor of this 18th century gem.

 www.soundspacevision.com