Teatro Sociale

This design by Aurelio Galfetti for a cultural centre provides for the restoration of the “Teatro Sociale” built in 1874 by Giacomo Moraglia. The theatre is an interesting building with an elliptical central space in which the boxes are arranged in a horseshoe shape in front of the stage, an Italian opera house of the Ottocento “en miniature”, probably the only one of its kind preserved in its original state in Switzerland despite neglect. Since the capacity of the old theatre is very small in terms of audience size, stage dimensions and ancillary rooms, Galfetti planned an extension to the original building on the adjoining vacant garden plot to accommodate an additional theatre hall and the necessary infrastructure. Este diseño de Aurelio Galfetti para un centro cultural prevé la restauración del “Teatro Sociale” construido en 1874 por Giacomo Moraglia. El teatro es un interesante edificio con un espacio central elíptico en el que los palcos están dispuestos en forma de herradura frente al escenario, un teatro de ópera italiano del Ottocento “en miniatura”, probablemente el único de este tipo conservado en su estado original en Suiza a pesar del abandono. Dado que la capacidad del antiguo teatro es muy reducida en cuanto al tamaño del público, las dimensiones del escenario y las salas auxiliares, Galfetti proyectó una ampliación del edificio original en el terreno ajardinado contiguo para albergar una sala de teatro adicional y la infraestructura necesaria. The ground floor of the new building is an open space, intended as a foyer for the audience of both halls. The design lives from the juxtaposition of two types of construction, the new one made of iron and glass and the old one – dating from the 19th century – made of masonry. The resistance that Galfetti's project aroused was not, however, directed at this combination of old and new architecture, but at the planned superstructure of the garden.