Teatro Biobío
Regional theatre and concert hall of 2018 on the Biobío riverfront, with a folded metal shell.
The Teatro Regional del Biobío, usually called Teatro Biobío, opened in March 2018 as the main performing arts venue of southern-central Chile. Its principal auditorium seats around 1,200 and is designed for opera, symphonic concerts, ballet and drama, with a smaller flexible hall, rehearsal rooms and public foyers alongside. The programme mixes touring companies, regional ensembles and its own productions, and includes an education strand working with schools across the region.
The building stands in the Parque Bicentenario on the bank of the Biobío river, close to the Puente Llacolén, and was designed by the Chilean architects Smiljan Radic, Gabriela Medrano and Eduardo Castillo. Its irregular, faceted metal envelope encloses the auditorium volume and reads as a single mass from the park, while large glazed openings turn the foyers towards the water. The project formed part of a programme of regional theatres promoted by the Chilean state.
Highlights
- Faceted metal shell by Smiljan Radic beside the Biobío river
- Main auditorium of about 1,200 seats for opera and concerts
- Smaller flexible hall for chamber and experimental work
- Foyers glazed towards the Parque Bicentenario
