Activating the foyer at The Royal Danish Playhouse

A diversity of use brought – a seemingly dead space – back to life in the renowned cultural institution in Copenhagen.

A need for a working lounge

When architects Lundgaard & Tranberg designed The Royal Danish Playhouse in 2008, behaviours in public space were different from what they are today. The demand for informal meeting spaces has in the last decade grown significantly, shown in the common desire to engage in a few hours work or to hold a quick check-in at a cultural location.

Equipped for a range of activities

One enters the transparent glass foyer via the public passage along the harbour, accessible to all. Rather than having an empty space next to the café, Lundgaard & Tranberg has now handed the open space in the foyer to the public, as an extension of the promenade. +Halle Low Nest chairs and sofas were installed, and it did not take long before clusters of people begun inhabiting the space – small meetings are now held, drinks are indulged and correspondence is formulated on laptops.

EXPLORE

Coloured by the context

The large windows facing the water makes the foyer bath in blue light. The architects were subtle when lighting the open spaces, designed to neutralize reflections in the glass. As a result, the lounge feels warm, and the shades of upholstery used in the Nest chairs mirror that pleasant, all-embracing, blue tone.

“…the common desire to engage in a few hours work or to hold a quick check-in at a cultural location”

The demand for informal meeting spaces has in the last decade grown significantly