De Kunstwerf

STUDIO DONNA VAN MILLIGEN BIELKE x ARD DE VRIES ARCHITECTEN

Groningen celebrates the performing arts with De Kunstwerf. It is not uncommon for theatre companies to be tucked away in invisible places. But here, a home has been designed especially for them. A place where not only users but also residents of Groningen and other visitors are welcome. This is why the heart of De Kunstwerf is not the theatre itself, but the inner garden, designed by Piet Oudolf as a succession of public spaces and including an intimate amphitheatre. Both audience and actors come together in the garden; a space that provides seclusion and intimacy, but above all visibility. Every company has its own front door, kitchen, work and rehearsal rooms. In the garden there is plenty of space for meeting and peeking behind the scenes of the theatre groups.