Water rites : a city stage for Boston

Abstract

This thesis focuses on the design of a public theatre for the entire city of Boston, a "city stage." The intention is to explore through design the boundaries of an architectural setting for large scale performance art; one that could be enjoyed by the entire city at once. Further, the idea is to provide an architecture that supports the kinds of performance that might heighten not only the experience of what is conventionally known as "theatre", but would also transform our sense of scale in terms of the audience / performer relationship. In another sense, the theatre would serve as a focal point - a "public common" - in a harbor that has been sorely neglected. Today, Boston is in a rare position to reclaim its waterfront. Projects like the depression of the Central Artery and the harbor clean-up are opportunities to positively impact the waterfront environment. The "city stage" might serve as a beacon for the harbor and a place to enjoy what was once a forbidding edge.