Opera houses, concert halls and theatres from 1950 to 2020

David Staples is a theatre consultant and has been advising clients, architects and governments on the building of new theatres, concert halls and opera houses around the world across 67 different countries. For the past seven years he has been collaborating with 41 people from 14 countries to create a book called ‘Modern Theatres 1950 – 2020’. In this talk, he looks at theatre buildings including opera houses and concert halls and how they have evolved and changed over the last 70 years. Beginning with a Greek amphitheatre and finishing with a 20 seat amphitheatre in Slovenia, David Staples embraces many of the most significant theatres of this period and explores how architecture was changed by the TWA Flight Centre at New York’s Idlewild (now JFK) Airport and its influence on the Sydney Opera House.

The book, Modern Theatres 1950–2020, edited by David Staples, explores in detail 30 of the most significant theatres, concert halls, opera houses and dance spaces that opened between 1950 and 2010. Each theatre is reviewed and assessed by experts in theatre buildings, such as architects, acousticians, consultants and theatre practitioners, and illustrated with full-colour photographs and comparative plans and sections. A further 20 theatres that opened from 2009 to 2020 are concisely reviewed and illustrated. Click HERE for more information.