Contemporary theater is at a crossroads of practices: dance, cinema, music, multimedia... Throughout its history, shows have experimented with outdoors theatre, the reappropriation of industrial spaces and other locations, a diversity of configurations and dispositions of the show, the public, the time.

The stake of the new home of the National Theatre is to embody the shifting identity of this art form, with the visibility that the plot in the center of Brussels provides; and to do so by providing a flexible tool for the artists to work with.

The urban context is that of a classical XIXth century avenue: terraced buildings of similar heights into which the building integrates seamlessly. The dialogue between this classic context and the nature of the performing arts resulted in an elaborate facade that plays with tranparency and opacity, like a veil protecting the misteries of the show.

The limited size of the plot and the budget constraints lead to a very compact building. The three performing spaces are assembled into each other, and each have very different characters. The main space has 750 seats and variable geometry. It can be modified to the classical Italian and Elizabethan configurations, as well as other public/stage dispositions. The continuity between the stage and the public is strong, and the room is very dark. It's compared to a grand piano.

The small space has 250 seats and a fixed Italian configuration. It favours an intimate atmosphere, dry and warm like a cello. The rehearsal space has the size of the stage of the main space, which allows rehearsals up until the very last stages of a show. It can host up to 150 seats for more experimental productions.

In the free spaces between the three performing halls all the remaining functions find their place. The vertical public foyer stretches from the street level to the third floor under the small hall. Around the main hall, offices, costume design and production, archives, stage producers and workers find their respective spaces to work.

The result is comparable to a fine machinery, a live body with each organ working for the whole.