'The play's the thing': on theatricality and modern public space

This chapter explores the potential of a modern reading of architectural theatricality through the discussion of two public projects built in the mid-twentieth century, Dimitris Pikionis‘ Acropolis Works in Athens (1954-57), and Hans Scharoun‘s Neue Staatsbibliothek in Berlin (1964-1977). Through distinct means and characters, these two very different projects invest in a theatricality that operates as a latent mode of engagement, in order to makes spaces for structured and meaningful yet open participation. Key to the discussion is Hans-Georg Gadamer‘s notion of 'play‘, as a hermeneutic device for grasping the intricate balance between openness and structure - or freedom and responsibility - in our late modern world.