Haarlem City Theatre

Ceramics in the spotlight

The 90–year-old city theatre in Haarlem is preparing for a second life, after an extensive renovation that took more than two years. The thorough plan, withlarge-scale changes and considerable expansion, was created by Erick at Egeraat associated architects and features a special ceramic wall which was created for the new stage tower in collaboration with artist Babs Haenen.

The city theatre in Haarlem is one of the five oldest theatres in the Netherlands and is recognisable as such – a robust brick-built structure with modest wall ornamentation. The original building by architect J.A.G. van der Steur has been a characteristic feature of the old city centre since the start of the last century and is a striking example of the brick architecture from that time. However, at the start of this century it became apparent that it could not function in accordance with the current standards of theatre technology, production facilities and accessibility. Moreover, different conversions had confused the spatial structure. This is why a multiple tender was created for the renovation of the theatre. The tender was won by Erick van Egeraat associated architects (EEA) in Rotterdam. After two years of renovation, the result is at the heart of the body of work created by Erick van Egeraat: ‘modern baroque’, as he calls it.

Decorative strips The theatre in Haarlem is a building that – after the recent revamp – can no longer be called modest. Radical changes were required to modernise the theatre. For example, the main entrance of the building was moved to the basement and the furnishings in the interior were also thoroughly updated. The goal was to give the entire building more consistency and grandeur. A new stage tower, which was considerably larger than the old one, was built and,to conceal the difference in volume, was clad with decorative ceramic elements that were specially developed by artist Babs Haenen in collaboration with EEA. The tiling for the wall was placed in vertical strips of different lengths that run up to the top edge of the wall to create a cascade effect. Several of these strips are fitted with screen-printed glazing. The ceramics have blue-green and turquoise tints and become gradually lighter in colour as they near the top edge of the wall. This seems to make the significant volume of the stage tower evaporate into the air. Petrified patchwork quilt Various tiles are used in the project – flat tiles, rosettes and tiles with a relief pattern that look like glazed, hardened pieces of cloth. They create a shadowplay that makes the wall speak, it literally asks to be touched. Each tile is unique, having been crafted by hand by the artist Babs Haenen, who also applied the pigment and the glaze to the clay by hand. She treats ceramics as a form of sculpture and devotes a great deal of attention to colour texture, shape and tactile qualities. This ensures that the ceramics have a touchable and traditional look, rather than an industrial image. The wall tiles produced by Haenen reflect the ceramic tiles produced by Leon Senf in the old section of the theatre, thereby creating a link with the existing building and the latest extension. Elements of the old stage tower, such as windows, hard stone decorative elements and glazed bricks were used in the wall of the old tower in order to enhance this link. All this makes the city theatre an even more recognisable building for Haarlem. A robust building with a wall of decorative ceramics – the brickwork now forms a modest decor for the new leading actors.

Ceramist: Babs Haenen

Facing bricks: Wienerberger Bemmel - Mix: Rood hardgrauw, formbacked - Rood gevelgrauw, formbacked

Details: Sloping masonry Special shaped bricks

The Municipal Theatre of Haarlem is a cultural landmark in the historical city centre of Haarlem, the Netherlands. The original theatre, built during World War I, is a listed monument and ranks among the five eldest theatres in the Netherlands.

After almost one century, the existing theatre no longer met contemporary requirements for theatre techniques, production facilities and building accessibility. Furthermore, as a result of several renovations the interior had lost most of its original character. Respectful restoration of its unique character was one of Erick van Egeraat’s main design objectives.

The most striking intervention to the monument is the replacement of the original stage tower by a new structure. In order to house all required facilities, the stage tower’s volume has been significantly increased. However, the visual impact of this extension is minimised through the cascading layering of the facade in material and shape.

Brickwork, ornamented porcelain and partially screen-printed glass are integrated into the existing eclectic Art Deco facade. The facade composition of the new stage tower connects the contemporary and historic elements, and in an upwards transition of materials, the flight tower seemingly dissolves into the air.

The ornamented facade is the result of a co-operation of Erick van Egeraat with well-known Dutch ceramic artist Babs Haenen.

The original interior design has initially been applied to only a few rooms. The monumental spaces, like the theatre hall and adjoining foyer spaces, whose original quality has been lost over the years, are now restored to old splendour with contemporary comfort.

With respect for the original building’s qualities, an architectural project of this scope cannot merely be limited to copying the existing. On the contrary, only the adding of value, the blending of old and new to foster a revitalised identity, will ensure the Municipal Theatre Haarlem to keep its place in the centre of contemporary theatre life.