After the 2010 earthquake and tsunami, which destroyed much of the city, ELEMENTAL chose not to recreate the theater’s lost appearance; instead, the building was given continuous timber cladding that works both as a facade and as an acoustic screen.
Slats of different widths and tones change the pattern of the facade depending on the angle of the light: by day the volume reads as a monolith, and the shadow of the palms turns the wall into a drawing. Inside, the same wood continues across the ceiling and walls of the foyer, creating a warm, subdued light.
