The Østre Gasværk has been a place buzzing with energy ever since it was built. When Danish architect Martin Nyrop completed the gasworks to the north east of the city centre in 1883, he probably didn’t imagine that the reason for it would be traced back to certain molecular compounds one day. But a good one hundred years later, a project was hatched in the 1970s to turn the industrial site into a cultural hotspot. Since then, the monolithic building has been the venue for plays, dance performances, fashion shows and musicals.
The theatre hall was given a brand-new dome in order to modernise the now protected building sensitively and to ensure it complied with today’s demands on production technology. A steel structure made of curved roof trusses was positioned on 16 vertical columns. It accommodates all the technical installations for the light and sound equipment and the stage set.
But in the case of events where the audience sometimes has to sit for two hours, comfort is equally as important as being able to see and hear well. Which is why the refurbishment also included replacing the 900 seats. The seating was to integrate appealingly with the theatre’s overall look and not change the acoustics too much. Wilkhahn’s Aline chairs (Design: Andreas Störiko) proved to be the right choice: due to the open-pore, airy fabric on the backrest and seat, the chairs are ideal for rooms where the acoustics are important. At the same time, they look transparent and are hard wearing – making them ideal for the theatre.
The website of the Wilkhahn dealer in Copenhagen: Ramsing & Co.
Click here for more information on the Aline range.