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| | Located within the vast green areas alongside the lake, the Théâtre de Vidy is a remnant of the national exhibition held in Lausanne in 1964. Expo 64 was a major event in the city. The road network was restructured, and the shape of entire areas was transformed, particularly by filling the lake. Along with some sculptures, two pavilions covered by concrete veils in the Vallée de la Jeunesse are the other major relics from the event. The Théâtre de Vidy is the creation of Max Bill, one of the most important Swiss artists and architects of the 20th century. In the late 1920s, he was a student of Paul Klee and Wassily Kandinsky at the celebrated German art school, Bauhaus. Over the following decade, he theorized about the principle of Concrete Art, a form of geometric abstraction, and became a figurehead in Swiss art. In the 1950s, he directed and built the new Hochschule für Gestaltung in Ulm, with the aim of following in the footsteps of the Bauhaus.
At the time of Expo 64, the Théâtre de Vidy was part of a larger architectural project, in the area known as Educate and Create, which formed the cultural centre of the event. Its design mirrored the principles developed for the Ulm school: a base, here a 5 metre cube, is multiplied upon itself horizontally and vertically to create the overall space. This serial concept allowed for great streamlining and industrialisation of the creation. Designed only for temporary use, the theatre has undergone several renovations. Today, it is a prestigious European theatrical stage. |
