Vineet Dhall
Urban Architecture
The Fourth wall of the stage: Exploring the backstages of Maastricht
The spotlight often remains on cultural consumption while places of cultural production such as backstage, where rehearsals, practice and training are undertaken, are hidden from the stage and public view. This project recites the narrative of a similar urban backstage, known as Landbouwbelang, in Maastricht. The ideology of the project draws a shift in perspective and reveals cultural production or backstage activities as the primary performance. Adopting inspiration from set design, stage spaces are introduced by highlighting the architecture of the existing building and exposing the construction so that the viewers experience the contrasts. The unbounded appropriation and domestication of the production spaces create fluid relationships between the different art forms while a ‘public’ spine accentuates and ties the sequence within varied spaces. The design highlights the stories of the past, explores the present and enamours the future through the layering of props and becomes a backstage venue for the creative minds of Maastricht.