Borgobello Puppet Theatre

The Borgobello Puppet Theatre, the first of its kind in Italy, embodies the renovation and conversion of a former stable building that was part of the military headquarters once housed in the nearby former medieval monastery, into a theatre entirely dedicated to puppet shows.

The nineteenth century building, located in the ancient city centre of Perugia in the neighbourhood known as Borgobello, is located in between of the Basilica of San Domenico, Palazzo dell'Inquisizione and Parco di Santa Margherita.

From an urban perspective the project seeks to integrate this beautiful but forgotten space into the city’s vital network by introducing a new and unique function in a neighbourhood dominated by small restaurants, workshops etc.

Internally the linear shaped building is articulated into five parts: 1) foyer, wardrobe, ticket counter and toilets with its graphic and chromatic inserts on walls ceilings; 2) theatre hall with its original wooden truss roof and wooden upholstered chairs in four different colours (red, blue, yellow, green); 3) the stage, with its rust colour curtain; 4) a puppet exhibition hall with handcrafted masks and puppets; and 5) a didactic workshop area.

From an exterior design perspective a picturesque configuration was proposed which is contrasted only by the doors and "steles" in rusted steel and the walkway in exposed aggregate concrete with a central linear metal drainage.