NAVE / Smiljan Radic

Architects: Smiljan Radic
Year: 2015
Photographs: Nico Saieh, Maria Gonzalez
Manufacturers: Quattro
City: Santiago
Country: Chile

NAVE performing arts hall designed by Smiljan Radic in Chile transforms a decaying building into a dynamic space for artistic performances and research. The renovation, following a destructive earthquake in 2010, restored the building’s façade while reconfiguring its interior. The design creatively integrates the city into the hall, allowing urban views to be part of the shows. The interior layout supports flexibility with retractable bleachers, adaptable rooms, and a rooftop designed for circus installations. The hall serves as a hub for workshops, exhibitions, and artist residencies, fostering a collaborative environment.

The design for this experimental performing arts hall introduced an “emptying operation,” leveraging the same municipal regulations that had previously stalled the building’s renovation, contributing to its state of disrepair.

The building’s façade was the only part that remained partially intact after multiple fires and the 2010 earthquake. These events exposed the interior, erasing any traces of the households that once occupied the space.

The project fully cleared the property, reconstructing the original façade in its entirety and turning it into a kind of subtle disguise. Through its openings, the city becomes visible from within, acting as part of the backdrop for some performances.

Only a few structural elements make contact with the ground on the first floor: the elevator, stairs, and the support wall for the movable stands. A public walkway, suspended from a central master beam, extends throughout the space and leads to the roof terrace, set against the city’s natural landscape, where a circus tent can be installed. The design appears to be controlled from above, with the circus being one of the earliest, most primitive concepts. Periodically, the tent will rise above the building, appearing as an unusual object, detached from the ground, spreading a sense of joy throughout the neighborhood.

Rehearsal rooms, offices, and various other facilities occupy different areas within the building, transforming it into a new, interconnected organism from the inside.

The main space in NAVE is the 750-square-meter Black Room, featuring a professional dance floor, retractable bleachers that seat 146 spectators, and technical equipment for lighting and sound. This versatile area lacks a fixed stage, allowing for various configurations.

The 130-square-meter White Room is equipped with both sound and natural light. It features a professional dance floor, custom-made specifically for NAVE, with natural light entering through overhead skylights. Connected to the central Black Room by a sliding door, the White Room is dedicated to research, workshops, practices, and exhibitions.

Spacious dressing rooms connect the White and Black Rooms. Two practice rooms are also part of the facility. Room 1 is a 65-square-meter white room with restored original moldings and parquet flooring, equipped with a sound system and natural light.

Room 2, slightly smaller at 50-square-meter, features the same restored moldings and parquet floors, along with a sound system.

The residence area is designed to accommodate artist residency projects, hosting up to 10 artists. It includes four rooms with individual beds, as well as a shared living room, kitchen, dining room, and bathrooms.

The 750-square-meter rooftop, offering views of the Andes mountain range, is a flexible space where a circus tent can be installed for various activities.