This meeting was held on-line via Zoom.
The following participated:
OISTAT Head Quarters:
Yi Shan Lai Taiwan
Hsi-Lun Tai Taiwan
Shih Yun Chien Taiwan
Members and Guests:
Kate Burnett UK
Tim Carey USA
Joshua Dachs USA
Tim Foster UK
Jenny Hall UK
Peter Ruthven Hall UK (vice-chair)
Kate Burnett UK
William Kenyon USA
Torsten Nobling Sweden
Mohra Samuel UK
Maaike Westinga Netherlands (chair)
Shusaku Futamara Japan
Jeong Sik Yoo South Korea
Apologies:
Selma Goker Wilson USA (vice-chair)
1.0 Introduction
Maaike introduced the meeting and the topics for discussion.
2.0 Announced the death of Sammy Wang
Maaike recorded with great sadness the passing of Samuel Shih-Hsin Wang suddenly from a heart attack. Sammy contributed to many OISTAT commissions and forums and was a friend to many members. He will be remembered for his sumptuous designs.
3.0 Turkey – Antique Theatres, Thursday 10 to Sunday 13 September 2026 (travel before/after)
There are now 24 participants.
Extra hotel nights can be booked if you advise the travel agent Oasis.
Please share information on your arrival and departure times with Selma and Berna so that others can be aware. Note that Maaike and Louis will arrive one night early.
Please join the Whatsapp group for ease of sharing information.
https://chat.whatsapp.com/KOTpRtA9wag2rZunaDULWj?s=cl&p=i&ilr=0
There is also an optional trip to 1930s Bademler Theater on Thursday 10 at 2pm in Izmir. Please inform Selma if you want to join.
Selma is preparing the info sheet for the tour to distribute in August. We will know who our guide is soon too.
3.1 Turkey – reconnecting Turkey to Oistat
Selma has connected Hakan and Efter the 2 people who can pursue Turkey's reconnection with OISTAT. Aby will likely meet up with them on the 7th or 8th.
There are plans for visit and tour of Ataturk Cultural Centre in Istanbul, but arrangements have yet to be made.
4.0 TenBrasWestinga: In Search for Identity, In Search of a Story
Maaike then shared a presentation of the work of her own architectural practice in the Netherlands.
Islemunda, Rotterdam
Fitting out a ground floor shell of an apartment building with a performance space next to a library. Two studios, one small. The larger studio has a double acoustic wall – one glazed and one solid opening onto the foyer. Retractable seating. All flexible.
De Zeepziederij, Bree, Belgium
Fitted out an old flexible theatre space and foyer with local goods and donated furniture. The furniture helps to link the space to the community that contributed to its success.
Library De Vooste Venne, Drunen
Car museum converted to a cultural centre, it was renovated in 2018.
New entrance, café, new studios for events and music, revised to accommodate the library too. Local crafts used to inspire shapes and designs for book stacks.
Konnekt (KdK), Soesterberg
Restaurant in conference hotel. To furnish the large, glass-fronted room, cupboards were made and filled with souvenirs. "Linking": bringing together similarities from different worlds. The souvenirs tell the story.
RAADhuise, Schijndel
Adding to an existing town hall with new split level entrance hall.
Theater De Vest, Alkmaar
Reseating of existing auditorium (2013), connecting the restaurant to the foyer (2016). New entrance, including refurbishments of public spaces (2025).
Poorterij, Zaltbommel
Current project, new housing with space for a cultural building.
Maaike explained how she re-orientated the building for improved social interaction. It includes a flexible studio with glazed side and smaller auditorium.
Q&A
Tim – there is an interesting balance between new and refurbishments. Maaike: In 2000 every town got a new theatre and these now need refurbishment. Refurbishment also environmentally sensible.
Jenny Hall - how many staff? These projects suggest a larger practice. Maaike – just staff of four. TenBrasWestinga has been a larger practice. We tried to spread risk, but by focusing on cultural projects and small staff has offered a more balanced operation. Tim – discovered the same situation and focussed on theatre/cultural projects. Tim suggested that all architectural practices have become more specialised.
Kate Burnett – are towns and cities in the Netherlands using cultural spaces to drive regeneration of a district? Tim – this tends to be more organic than planned. Maaike – projects are smaller; cities and towns need social interaction. Multifunctional performance space is preferred to ‘theatre’ and the neighbourhood area is more important than the wider town/city. Libraries play more and more an important role between the cultural and social needs.
Mhora – is there an obligation to have a community resource? Maaike – the library has become the new social centre with a programming function. Libraries are obligatory. In recent years, the government has assigned them more social responsibilities. Tim – this is not so in the UK.
Kate – loved the proportions of the spaces, the vertical and horizontal planes seem so balanced and human in scale. Referenced artist and theatre designer David Hockney’s awareness of proportions and noted his sad passing the previous day.
Jenny Hall – admired the decisions made on the use of space, the balance between what you retain and where to intervene. The warmth of the spaces, especially with used furniture.
Shusaku – do you make models of the spaces (as he would make for his scenography)? Maaike – we make models in the computer. This is more immediate. Physical models work too for urban scale.
Shusaku – how do you choose the right materials? Maaike – depends on whether the building is to contrast or merge with its context. Colour and texture are important.
Josh – likes 3D models but VR is also helpful to communicate with clients who may not read 3D models so easily.
Maaike – AI has been a revelation. Maybe it still needs refinement but it is helpful for early representations of ideas. As architects, we become the guides to the story.
5.0 Future Online Meetings and Activities
Thursday 10-13 September 2025 Turkey Visit.
Zoom Meeting Friday 11 December 2025 15.00-17.00 Central European Time.
• 2027 Finland
Janne hopes to offer a meeting in Finland.
• 2027 Bergamo
Marcello hopes to offer a meeting in Bergamo.
• 2028 Dutch Tour
Maaike would like to reorganize this tour postponed from 2020.
• 2029 Berlin
World Stage Design
Suggestions to increase participation are always welcomed so please assist by raising the profile of the AC in your own country. AC activities are open to anyone with an interest in theatre buildings.
Presentations
Sharing our work and knowledge is an important part of the activities from AC. If you have anything to show, share or discuss don’t hesitate to let us know. The size of the project is not an issue at all.
Finding new AC members
Please continue to spread the word and invite colleagues and other interested individuals to participate in the online meetings and AC activities. Also, when joining a theatre visit, please invite younger colleagues to join you. Proposed theatre visits should be popular with a wider community.
All members are requested individually to fill in the form.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfwnh0KWShYn0VJUfVArgqnMjV7z0MTalrT8n539tOXfFIyog/viewform
Notes compiled by Maaike Westinga with Peter Ruthven Hall.
For questions, suggestions or to schedule a presentation
maaike@tenbraswestinga.nl / ruthvenh@gmail.com
