MSA Stage 5 School of Architecture
Dhanush Reddy Raja
Dhanush Raja Reddy is a postgraduate architecture student at the Mackintosh School of Architecture, Glasgow School of Art. With over two years of experience in architecture and interior design firms based in Bangalore, India, he brings a practical foundation to his academic exploration.
His work focuses on adaptive reuse and material experimentation, with an emphasis on designs that offer both functional and aesthetic value. His approach is grounded in humanising spaces and cultivating a sense of freshness within the surrounding context. A continuous pursuit of research and a naturally inquisitive mindset have been central to shaping his design philosophy and architectural expression.
TEATRO DA VIDA ‘City as a Stage, Architecture as an event’
The history of art, drama, and music in Porto runs deep, dating back as far as the 15th century when it was a rich cultural centre, spanning from classical to contemporary plays. The first theatrical performances were usually staged in improvised spaces such as public squares and ballrooms. Recently, the city has also gained international recognition for theatre festivals such as FITEI (Festival Internacional de Teatro de Expressão Ibérica) and the Almada International Theatre Festival in Portugal. The main idea behind the proposal is that, in today’s world, cities are promoting themselves globally through culture, and street performers, artists, actors, and other creative disciplines are at the forefront of this cultural rehabilitation in urban spaces.
Excerpting from the principles of La Villette by Bernard Tschumi—who designed a park in Paris consisting of 25 follies (workshops, exhibition spaces, concert halls, etc.) with different programs and activities in relation to the existing Technology Museum and city concert hall—cross-programming and interdisciplinary collaboration are the key terms that will enhance these spaces to be used not just for performance but also for the processes involved in making a performance (set design, workshops, collaboration hubs). Richard Sennett has similarly compared the city to a stage and architecture to an event in The Fall of Public Man.
“Cities are a stage where people perform and buildings are the sets that frame the performance.”
—Richard Rogers
The research has drawn inspiration from this concept, where the site in Porto will be considered as the city—the stage—and the architecture will be regarded as the event framing the performances of the people. The thesis aims to provide street artists, actors, artists and other creative disciplines with a space to perform while also offering them opportunities to collaborate with students through mentoring, learning, and experience-sharing, ultimately benefiting both entities. It will offer a platform to showcase their talent and integrate programs based on the existing university where the artists (Universidade de Lusófona, Porto). Located on the hill facing the Monastery along the river, close to Fontainhas, the site presents an opportunity to implement an experimental typology within the context of Porto.
