longhi architecture

arquitectura
on
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stage
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introduction by adele naude santos presentacin por adele naude santos
Luis Longhi (Puno, 1954) Peruvian architect, graduated
from Ricardo Palma University (Lima). Master in Architecture
and Master in Fine Arts, with a major in Sculpture from the
University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia). Worked in the United
States and India for renowned architects such as B. V. Doshi,
Adele Santos, David Slovic, John Bower and Marshall Meyers
as well as in Corporative offices like Bower Lewis & Thrower
Architects (Philadelphia), Gruen Associates (Los Angeles) and
Farrington Design Group (Atlanta). He has his own architecture
practice in Lima, and he teaches at the Design Studio of Juvenal
Baracco at Ricardo Palma University. He also acts as a lecturer
and guest critic at various universities in the United States. As
stage designer, he has worked with the main directors of the
Peruvian Perfor ming Arts Community and teaches stage
design at Universidad Catlica in Lima.

Luis Longhi (Puno, 1954) Arquitecto peruano, graduado

en la Universidad Ricardo Palma (Lima). Master en Arquitec-
tura y en Bellas Ar tes con mencin en Escultura de la Univer-
sidad de Pensilvania. Trabaj en Estados Unidos e India para
arquitectos como B. V. Doshi, Adele Santos, David Slovic,
John Bower y Marshall Mayers e igualmente en firmas como
BTL Architects (Filadelfia), Gruen Associates (Los ngeles)
y Farrington Design Group (Atlanta).
En el campo de la arquitectura, dirige su propio estudio en
Lima y es docente en el Taller de Diseo de Juvenal Baracco de
la Universidad Ricardo Palma.
En diseo escenogrfico, ha trabajado con los principales
directores peruanos de artes escnicas peruanos y dicta el
curso de espacio escnico en la Pontificia Universidad Cat-
lica del Per.
 EDITING EDICIN:
MARTIN LONGHI, JUAN SOLANO
PROOFREADING CORRECCIN: ALICIA MORALES
WRITING REDACCIN: VERONICA SCHREIBEIS, JUAN SOLANO
DESIGN DISEO:JUAN SOLANO
GRAPHICS GRFICOS: CHRISTIAN BTTGER
CARLA TAMARIZ
YSA JAMIS
SKETCHES APUNTES: LUIS LONGHI
PHOTOGRAPHS FOTOGRAFAS: CECILIA LARRABURE Life is a dream La vida es sueo, The Golden Pavilion El Pabelln de Oro, Waiting for Godot
Esperando a Godot, As five years pass As que pasen cinco aos, Other places El otro lugar (p. 128, 129),
Othello Otelo (p. 158, 159, 160, 161, 162 above arriba, 163), The threepenny opera La pera de tres centavos (p.
169, 170, 171), Detour 2 Desvo 2, Elcine VIIIth Festival VIII Festival Elcine, Song of songs El cantar de los
cantares (p. 198, 199, 200, 201, 202, 203, 204, 205, 206-207), The house of Bernarda Alba La casa de Bernarda
Alba, Death of a salesman La muerte de un viajante (p. 253, 257, 259, 261, 262, 263, 264, 265, 266-267)
LUIS LONGHI Inkan architecture Arquitectura inca (p. 28, 126), Wooden formworks Encofrados (p. 38, 194), Saba
House Casa Saba (p. 66), Burned Teatro Municipal Teatro Municipal incendiado (p. 84), King Lear El rey Lear (p. 85,
86, 87, 88, 89, 90-91, 95, 97, 98, 99), Bridge over the river Unocolla Puente sobre el ro Unocolla (p. 108), Faust
Fausto (p. 114, 115, 116, 117, 123, 166), Longhi house Casa Longhi (p. 126), Pachacmac Temple Templo de
Pachacmac (p. 126, 192) Other places El otro lugar (p. 130, 131. 166), Marshall House Casa Marshall (p. 134),
Bertoni House Casa Bertoni (p. 174), Shelter of esteras Refugio de esteras (p. 134), Dirty hands Las manos sucias
(p. 139), Exercises at Baracco Design Studio Ejercicios en el Taller de Diseo de Baracco (p. 142), The musical El
musical (p. 146, 147, 148, 149), Othello Otelo (p.156, 157, 162 below abajo), The threepenny opera La pera de tres
centavos (p. 168), Peruvian Sea Mar peruano (p. 184), Peruvian desert Desierto peruano (p. 192), Song of songs
El cantar de los cantares (p. 194, 195, 196, 197), Tradicional house from Lima Casona limea (p. 210), Puruchuco
Palace Palacio Puruchuco (p. 226), Death of a salesman La muerte de un viajante (p. 246, 247, 248, 249, 250,
251, 252, 254, 255, 256, 258, 260)
ENRIQUE CNEO Oedipus rex Edipo rey
ANDREAS NEUMANN The Temple of the Golden Pavilion Templo el Pabelln de Oro, Bamboo Forest Bosque de
bamb (p. 46)
VALERIA LONGHI Tree in Taquile Island bol en la isla Taquile (p. 58)
BILLY HARE Teatro Municipal (p. 76)
HANS STOLL Teatro Municipal (p. 76)
JOS CHUQUIURE Burned Teatro Municipal Teatro Municipal incenciado (p. 77)
MOSHE SAFDIE ARCHITECTS Montreal Fine Arts Museum Museo de Bellas Artes de Montreal (p. 78)
MAYU MOHANNA King Lear El rey Lear (p. 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 80, 81, 82-83, 84, 85), Luis Longhi (resume currculo)
HAKAN SVENSSON El Infiernillo Bridge Puente El Infiernillo (p. 108)
MIGUEL CARRILLO Faust Fausto (p. 94, 95, 96, 97)
BRUNO FURNARI Pre-columbian Chulpa in Sillustani Chulpa precolombina en Sillustani (p. 126)
HARRY SCHUNK Christos trees rboles de Christo (p. 142)
PACO PEA FLAMENCO DANCE COMPANY Flamenco dancer Bailaora (p. 152)
DIGITALBLASPHEMY.COM Microscopic view of blood Vista microscpica de sangre (p. 152)
LOLO LAMAS Betrayal Traicin (p. 228, 229, 230-231, 232, 233, cover cartula)
JOS CARLOS MARTINAT Betrayal Traicin (p. 234, 235, 236, 237, 238)
JUAN SOLANO Betrayal Traicin (p. 239)
ELSA RAMREZ Yuyanapaq photografic exposition Exposicin fotogrfica Yuyanapaq (p. 242)

6
 contents
CONTENTS 7 CONTENIDO
INTRODUCTION 8 PRESENTACIN
PREFACE 12 PREFACIO
AN ARCHITECT IN THE THEATER 14 UN ARQUITECTO EN EL TEATRO
LIFE IS A DREAM 22 LA VIDA ES SUEO
OEDIPUS REX 32 EDIPO REY
THE GOLDEN PAVILION 44 EL PABELLN DE ORO
WAITING FOR GODOT 56 ESPERANDO A GODOT
AS FIVE YEARS PASS 64 AS QUE PASEN CINCO AOS
KING LEAR 74 EL REY LEAR
FAUST 106 FAUSTO
OTHER PLACES 124 EL OTRO LUGAR
DIRTY HANDS 132 LAS MANOS SUCIAS
THE MUSICAL 140 EL MUSICAL
OTHELLO 150 OTELO
THE THREEPENNY OPERA 164 LA PERA DE TRES CENTAVOS
DETOUR 2 172 DESVO 2
ELCINE VIII FESTIVAL 182 VIII FESTIVAL ELCINE
TH

SONG OF SONGS 190 EL CANTAR DE LOS CANTARES

THE HOUSE OF BERNARDA ALBA 208 LA CASA DE BERNARDA ALBA
BETRAYAL 224 TRAICIN
DEATH OF A SALESMAN 240 LA MUERTE DE UN VIAJANTE
BETWHEEN INTUITION AND REASON 269 ESPACIOS DE LA INTUICIN Y LA RAZN
LIST OF REFERENCES 274 NDICE DE REFERENTES
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 276 AGRADECIMIENTOS

contenido

7
 introduction
Luis Longhi entered the master of Fine Arts program
at the University of Pennsylvania to study sculpture.
While I was Chairman of Architecture, he requested
permission to do a dual degree combining this with a
Luis Longhi ingres a la maestra del programa de
Bellas Artes en la Universidad de Pensilvania para
estudiar escultura. Mientras era directora del De-
partamento de Arquitectura, l solicit autorizacin
para seguir dos especialidades simultneamente,
combinando sus estudios de escultura con una
maestra en arquitectura. l vena muy bien reco-
mendado por Juvenal Baracco, quien previamente
nos haba enviado estudiantes talentosos, y pre-
sent un excelente portafolio de arquitectura. Se-
guir dos especialidades en simultneo es exigente,
particularmente con la cantidad de trabajos requeri-
dos en estas dos disciplinas y durante mi dcada en
la universidad Longhi fue el nico que lo hizo. l
presentacin
8
Masters Degree in Architecture. He was highly
recommended by Juvenal Baracco who had sent us
talented students previously and he also showed an
excellent architectural portfolio. A dual degree is
challenging par ticularly with the amount of studio
demostraba una verdadera pasin por su trabajo
creativo, pasando largas noches en el taller.
Fui su profesora en un taller sobre vivienda en Ah-
madabad, India, que fue codirigido por B. V. Doshi.
De este viaje tambin particip su colega de la Uni-
versidad Ricardo Palma, Lorenzo de Szyszlo. En este
proyecto Luis se desempe soberbiamente, pero
lo ms resaltante de su participacin fue su sensi-
bilidad al entorno fsico y cultural. l y Lorenzo se
quedaron en India para hacer un internado con Dos-
hi, lo que les permiti cimentar su amistad. Ambos
contribuyeron creativamente en el constante proce-
so de diseo que se desarrollaba en la oficina.
ADELE NAUDE SANTOS
architect
work required by these two disciplines and in my
decade at the university he was the only one to do
this. He displayed a real passion for his creative
work spending long nights in the studio.
I was his professor for a housing studio in
Ahmedabad India which was co-taught with B. V.
Luis se gradu con altas calificaciones en ambos
programas. Exhiba una frtil y natural creatividad,
una intuicin inusual para el diseo, una rigurosa
tica de trabajo y una pasin por el proceso creati-
vo. Su inteligencia y habilidades analticas eran tam-
bin evidentes. Slo recientemente descubr que l
luchaba contra la dislexia, que estoy segura enmas-
caraba con sus otros prolficos talentos.
Despus de sus estudios, trabaj en diversas oficinas
de arquitectura en las que destac aunque no pudo
desarrollar plenamente su talento creativo. Haba poco
tiempo para la produccin artstica. Surgi la oportuni-
ADELE NAUDE SANTOS
arquitecta
Doshi. His colleague from Universidad Ricardo Palma,
Lorenzo de Szyszlo was also on this trip. Luis
performed superbly but what was most interesting
was his sensitivity to the physical and cultural
context. He and Lorenzo stayed on to do an internship
with Doshi which allowed them to cement their
friendship. They both contributed creatively to the
ongoing design process in the office.
dad de invitarlo a unirse al equipo de profesores y
estudiantes de la Universidad de Pensilvania invitados
para hacer un taller de verano en Colombia. Una erup-
cin volcnica haba enterrado la ciudad de Armero,
matando gran parte de la poblacin sbitamente. Se
solicit a un grupo de mis exalumnos para que arma-
sen un equipo que colaborase en el diseo de una
nueva ciudad, Lrida, para albergar a los sobrevivien-
tes. Luis pareca una buena eleccin para ensear en
este taller por su talento creativo, energa y sensibili-
Luis graduated with high marks in both degree
programs. He exhibited a natural and fertile creativity,
an unusual design intuition, a rigorous work ethic
and a passion for the creative process. His
intelligence and analytical abilities were also evident.
I have only recently understood that he struggled
with dyslexia which I am sure he masked through
his other prolific talents.
After his studies he worked for a variety of
architectural offices where he excelled but could not
dad cultural mostrados en India. Su dominio del len-
guaje poda ser til, pero sobre todo era una tremenda y sus ricas manifestaciones en la arquitectura de los
ventaja su capacidad para ayudar a los estudiantes a
leer visualmente el paisaje cultural. Los resultados del
taller fueron enormemente tiles y muchas de las pro-
puestas de diseo fueron realizadas.
Despus de catorce aos, l regres al Per con una su experiencia profesional en el extranjero le fueron
habilidad ms objetiva para entender su propia cultura
fully realize his creative talents. There was little time
for artistic production. An opportunity arose to invite
Luis to join a team of University of Pennsylvania
faculty and students invited to do a summer studio
in Colombia. A volcanic eruption had buried the city
of Armero in mud killing a large propor tion of the
population overnight. Former students of mine were
asked to assemble a team to assist in the design of
a new city, Lerida, to house the survivors. Luis
seemed to be a good choice to help teach this studio
because of his creative talents, energy, and cultural
monumentos vernculos. El poder de la arquitectura
inca, el uso de la luz y la sombra, el material de la
construccin y la riqueza del detalle tuvieron un nuevo
impacto en l. Su educacin en los Estados Unidos y
muy tiles en esta siguiente etapa de su carrera.
9
 sensitivities displayed in India. His language skills
would be useful but also the ability to help students
read the cultural landscape visually would be a
tremendous asset. The results of the studio were
enormously useful and many of the design proposals
were realized.
After fourteen years he returned to Peru with more
objective ability to understand his own culture and
its rich manifestation in the architecture of
monuments and local vernacular. The power of Inca
architecture, the use of light and shadow and the
materiality of construction and detailing had new
impact. His education in the USA and his professional
experiences were to serve him well in this next stage
of his career.
A lo largo de sus estudios como escultor l desarro-
ll una pasin por las propiedades naturales de los
materiales, sus texturas, densidades y colores y las
diferentes tcnicas de modelarlos. Su aguda habili-
10
Through his studies as a sculptor he developed a
passion for the natural qualities of materials, their
textures, densities and colors and the different
techniques to shape them. His well-developed spatial
skills and formal background in architecture provided
him with a solid foundation. His experience as an
architectural practitioner gave him a sophisticated
sense of how to fabricate and build. Finding the right
venue to fuse his art and architectural talents was
to be the challenge. The inherent contradiction of
two kinds of art practice, one very long term in its
realization, architecture, and the other, sculpture,
dad espacial y su experiencia formal como arquitec-
to le proporcionaron una slida base. Mediante su
experiencia en arquitectura desarroll un sentido
sofisticado de cmo fabricar y construir. El reto era
encontrar el espacio correcto en donde combinar
sus talentos artsticos y arquitectnicos. Deba re-
conciliar la contradiccin inherente entre dos tipos
relatively short term in its production had to be
reconciled.
On his return to Lima this creative dilemma found its
natural outlet. Luis and his old friend and colleague
Lorenzo de Szyszlo met again. Lorenzo a gifted
architect and designer, cultured by background and
generous in spirit, respected Luiss talents. He
invited him to work with him to design the theatre
production of Life is a Dream. The design was very
well received and the two intended to continue working
together in architecture and stage design. Lorenzo
de prcticas artsticas, una de prolongada realiza-
cin, la arquitectura, y la otra, la escultura, de pro-
duccin relativamente corta.
Al regresar a Lima, este dilema creativo encontr su
cauce natural. Luis y su viejo amigo y colega Loren-
zo de Szyszlo se encontraron nuevamente. Lorenzo,
un dotado arquitecto y diseador, culto y de espritu
generoso, respetaba el talento de Luis. l le invit a
was to die tragically in a plane crash shortly thereafter.
The loss of his friend and collaborator was
devastating.
Although at first reluctant, Luis was asked by Edgar
Saba to continue the work in stage design initiated
by Lorenzo. The first of these was the very original
concept for the set for Oedipus Rex. This design
was highly acclaimed and his career was launched.
In stage design he found the perfect intersection
between architecture and sculpture. Here he could
trabajar en el diseo de la produccin de La vida es
sueo. El diseo fue muy bien recibido y ambos
intentaron continuar trabajando juntos en arquitec-
tura y escenografa. Lorenzo falleci trgicamente
en un accidente de aviacin al poco tiempo. La
prdida de su amigo y colaborador fue devastadora.
Aunque dudoso al inicio, Edgar Saba solicit a Luis
que continuase el trabajo escenogrfico iniciado
por Lorenzo. El primer caso fue el muy original
make an architecture of impermanence providing
the spatial and structural framework for sculptural
elements. Creating temporary space to engage all
the senses allowed greater freedom of architectural
expression. His commitment to using real materials,
real objects on stage and carefully fabricated
expressive structural elements, was true to his earlier
career. He also allowed his cultural background to
influence the work aesthetically including the use of
concepto para Edipo rey. Este diseo fue muy acla-
mado y fue el punto de partida para su carrera
como escengrafo. En la escenografa Longhi en-
contr la perfecta interseccin entre arquitectura y
escultura. Aqu pudo hacer una arquitectura efme-
ra proveyendo el marco espacial y estructural para
elementos esculturales. La creacin de espacios
temporales para enlazar todos los sentidos permi-
ti una mayor libertad de expresin arquitectnica.
Su compromiso con el uso de materiales reales,
light. The blending of architecture and sculpture was
clearly evident in the spectacular sets for King Lear
in the recently burnt ruin of the Teatro Municipal of
Lima. It would take these two disciplinary skills to
work such magic. Moving his architectural practice
on stage -the subject of this book- has resulted in
the brilliant productions illustrated here.
objetos reales en el escenario y elementos estruc-
turales expresivos y cuidadosamente fabricados
fue fiel a su profesin original. Luis tambin permi-
ti que su bagaje cultural influyese estticamente
en el trabajo al incluir el uso de luz. La mezcla de
escultura y arquitectura fue evidente en el espec-
tacular montaje de El rey Lear en las ruinas del
quemado Teatro Municipal. Se necesitaban estas
habilidades para tal magia. Al mover su prctica
arquitectnica al escenario el tema de este libro
han resultado las brillantes producciones ilustra-
das aqu.
11
 life is a dream
Longhi found that working with De Szyszlo on the
stage design for Life is a Dream to be a refreshing
change of pace from the preceding 14 years of
traditional architecture. As both men had a deep
Lorenzo de Szyszlo haba conversado con el
director de la obra, haba planteado el concepto
general de la escenografa y la haba desarro-
llado en su mayor parte cuando Longhi empez
a participar en el proceso. Por eso su trabajo
fue literalmente una colaboracin.
Respetuoso de las decisiones tomadas por el
diseador principal del proyecto, encontr que
poda serle til ocupndose de un punto pen-
diente: la mesa de piedra que iba a estar en el
eje del escenario. Este elemento en realidad
deba ser una plataforma cuadrada de dos me-
Director: Edgar Saba Teatro: Centro Cultural de la Universidad Catlica Ao: 1994
22
la vida es sueo
pedro caldern de la barca
respect for each others work, De Szyszlo focused employing computer programs to diagram the
on the set design while Longhi became absorbed sculptural formwork for the cast stone blocks
in the sculptural aspect of a stone table that would join to form the table. The integration
centerpiece. The table was his first opportunity of the three-dimensional programs as both a
to fully integrate his academic interests by design technique and construction aid increased
the accuracy and speed at which the table could
tros de lado sobre la cual pudieran subirse los
actores. An no se haba definido su forma ni la Para representar agua, tena en el centro una
manera de construirla, pues su traslado y su concavidad pulida, opuesta a la textura rugosa
instalacin en el escenario representaban un del resto del elemento, que reciba un haz de luz
problema al cual no haban hallado solucin. roja. De ella salan hacia los bordes canales al
Longhi dise la piedra -as la llamaron des- estilo inca.
de aquel entonces- como una composicin de La creacin de este objeto fue abordada como
doce piezas ensambladas al modo inca, sin una obra escultrica. Se encarg por completo
mortero. Este sistema, que siempre haba sido de ella, tal cual sola hacer cuando estudiaba
de su inters, permita trasladarla y armarla escultura en la Universidad Ricardo Palma ms
dentro del teatro. de quince aos atrs. Consigui el material para

be produced, and such programs had not yet
been seen in Peru.
The stone blocks were made of a marble chip,
marble dust and cement mix. These blocks
interlocked in such a way that recalled the ancient
Incan techniques of stone carving and seamless
joint masonry Longhi had so often seen in his
childhood. Longhi was very active in the
la piedra reconstituida y fabric los moldes de
madera en los que vaci la mezcla de marmoli-
na, granalla y cemento. Cuando el trabajo estu-
vo avanzado, Lorenzo, extraado por verlo ocu-
parse de ello personalmente, le asign un opera-
rio para ayudarlo a terminar en la fecha prevista.
Adems de la piedra, Longhi desarroll en com-
putadora imgenes tridimensionales de la es-
pedro caldern de la barca
Director: Edgar Saba Theater: Centro Cultural de la Universidad Catlica Year: 1994
fabrication process, a luxury he had not had time
for while working in offices in the United States.
He experimented with removing the formwork at
different stages of the curing process in order to
achieve subtle differences in texture. The rough
outer blocks were removed from the formwork
sooner than the smooth concave center.
After the table was assembled on stage, Longhi
worked until opening night, observing it under
cenografa completa que ayudaron a refinarla.
Aquella propuesta de Lorenzo, en la que esta-
ban presentes la madera, el metal y la piedra,
evidenciaba que el inters por los materiales de
uno comulgaba con la sensibilidad del otro.
Este encargo fue una oportunidad de retomar la
escultura, disciplina relegada desde sus estu-
la vida es sueo
the light and carefully chipping it with a chisel
to add texture in some spots and applying shoe
polish to give a wet, glossy look. The process
was very organic. I cleaned it, polished it, and
chipped away small sections to give it
textureand at night, it was perfect. The
opening scene of the premier was a single beam
of red light glimmering on the illuminated concave
center of the table. It seemed to float on the
wooden beams that supported it, isolated in
the vacant black of the stage.
dios en Filadelfia, y le motiv a continuar con
ella. Conforme trascurri el tiempo se percat
de que no lleg a hacerlo de la forma tradicional
sino que encamin sus mpetus escultricos
hacia la escenografa y la arquitectura.
23
life is a dream
 Only from them one could learn
how to put two pieces of stone together.

Slo de ellos se podra aprender a trabajar la piedra.

24
la vida es sueo
 25
life is a dream
26
la vida es sueo
 27
life is a dream
28
la vida es sueo
 29
life is a dream
 king lear
The Teatro Municipal of Lima caught fire in 1998.
The stage was destroyed leaving a gaping hole,
the interior damaged, and the warm red seats and
fanciful gold reliefs were reduced into a drab neutral.
Luis Longhi was called in to develop a scenic
space within the theater and restore the building
as a cultural venue until a new theater could be
built. He visited the site to listen carefully to the
damaged building and develop a relationship with
it. Longhi imagined the building as if it was a
woman or a man, so that the relationship would
develop in a similar way [as] relationships between
people, or people and pets. Longhi described
that at first there was little chemistry with el
viejo (the old gentleman). He said he was hurt,
El proyecto especial El Teatro Municipal Renace
contempl el montaje de espectculos en las rui-
nas de aquella sala que fuera la ms importante
de Lima, hasta su destruccin por un incendio en
1998. Una decisin valiente que se inici con la
escenificacin de El rey Lear, a cargo del Centro
Cultural de la Pontificia Universidad Catlica.
Edgar Saba haba pensado en un principio que
los actores se desenvolvieran en el piso de la
platea y el pblico se situara alrededor de ellos,
en el mismo nivel, en los palcos y en la galera.
Por lo tanto deseaba cerrar de algn modo la
boca del escenario para confinar el espacio
utilizado y ocultar el vaco de lo que fuera la
tramoya y el nivel bajo el escenario.
Cuando Longhi visti el teatro qued conmovi-
do. El lugar era aterrador, pero al mismo tiempo
sinti que ese espacio en el que cientos de
Director: Edgar Saba Teatro: Teatro Municipal Ao: 1999
74
el rey lear
and told Longhi to go away. But as Longhi began
to develop the relationship by touching the materials
and observing its connection to the context, he
could feel which areas were still comfortable and
which areas needed healing. The scars left on the
Teatro Municipal were not erased but tailored to a
functional condition.
The balconies were cleaned and filled with temporary
seating while the bottom level which had been
used as central seating was cleared and
transformed into the stage. The reinvention of the
buildings central space ingeniously heightened the
feeling of intimacy. The theaters seating became
walls around the action and the audiences physical
immediacy engaged them to a high degree. The
stone table Longhi designed for Life is a Dream
personas haban actuado irradiaba una gran
energa. Ello le hizo entender que deba aprove-
charse. Ocultarlo, como le haban sugerido, era
un error. Imagin a los actores flotando dentro
de l. Para conseguir este efecto propuso atra-
vesarlo con una rampa. De esta manera se
sentira ms intensamente su uso.
El da de la primera reunin con Saba en el teatro,
Longhi haba recibido unas fotografas del Museo
de Bellas Artes de Montreal, diseado por Moshe
Safdie. En ellas se apreciaba una cobertura tras-
lcida con estructura metlica. Tiempo despus,
el arquitecto se sorprendi al notar la similitud que
guardaba este techo con la rampa.
La rampa se concibi como un elemento met-
lico sobre el cual descansaba un piso de made-
ra, en alusin al escenario de un teatro, las
william shakespeare
was placed in the heart of the stage as though it
was predestined to visually anchor the large space.
The most devastated area of the theatre was the
previous stage. The floor and ceiling had collapsed
in the fire leaving a gaping hole exposed to the
heavens. Since the old central seating space had
already been converted to the main stage, Longhi
saw the opportunity to extend the stage from the
central space to the area of the previous stage by
designing a tapered ramp that gently spanned the
rubble below. As the ramp was being built, a
single door was discovered that penetrated the
back wall at the culmination of the ramp, making
the ramp accessible to backstage. Likewise, there
was a trapdoor at the foot of the ramp that gave
access to the previous orchestra pit. This trapdoor
could swing open to a vertical position to allow
the actors to move freely between the stage and
tablas. Sin embargo, al contemplar la contun-
dencia de la estructura armada, el arquitecto
comprendi que mejor luca sin el acabado. La
idea fue aceptada aun cuando las tablas de
pino ya haban sido compradas. En su reempla-
zo se coloc una malla metlica.
Perfiles y mallas de fierro pasaron a convertir-
se en el lenguaje comn de los elementos aa-
didos al teatro, visto que no obstruan la visin
del edificio y amalgamaban muy bien con las
ruinas. Incluso semejaban armaduras de las
estructuras originales del edificio que hubieran
permanecido en pie tras el incendio.
Una puerta levadiza en la rampa, inspirada en
las trampas de los escenarios, permita que los

the pit, and in later plays, functioned as a backdrop
for projections.
The ramp was a steel structure originally intended
to be covered by wood. The structure of the ramp
alone was beautiful and would have been a shame
to hide. Longhi listened to the recently burned
gentleman tell him, Wood is nice, but I want metal.
Longhi and Suasnabar, the contractor, selected a
wire mesh as the flooring for the ramp in order to
make it hover transparently over the hole. Those
who saw the ramp, thought it was an incredibly
ingenious idea, said Longhi. But that wasnt my
intention. I got to that point by accident or paying
attention to what the material was saying. The
wire mesh was later applied to other areas of the
theater to block off the condemned sections.
The first production in the Teatro Municipal was a
powerful Shakespearean tragedy about King Lear
who divides his kingdom between his three
daughters, only to be betrayed. Saba warned that
actores pasaran desde el foso hacia la platea.
La compuerta en posicin vertical era adems
una pantalla metlica que subdivida el espacio
de actuacin.
Requeran un ingreso para los actores y ste
fue facilitado por el edificio. Al momento de
construir la rampa, notaron que haba una puer-
ta tapiada en la pared hacia la cual se diriga.
Simplemente la reabrieron.
La rampa, adems de sentar el lenguaje a partir
del cual se plantearon las escenografas que se
construyeron posteriormente en el Teatro Munici-
pal, enfrentada al inicio del nuevo milenio adquiri
william shakespeare
Director: Edgar Saba Theater: Teatro Municipal Year: 1999
the plot could be especially wrenching for Longhi
who had just been separated from his own three
daughters. As a father, Longhi could relate to the
despair of the king, who eventually loses his mind
as the plot develops. He capitalized on his empathy
for the plot by harmonizing the visual image with
director Sabas ideas of movement and music.
For instance, Saba revealed the king slipping into
madness by blowing into a conch. The single note
that resounds from the shell alludes to the purity
of an indescribable emotion, an emotion so
powerful and cleansing that it transforms the soul
and suspends time. The drama of the single note
was enhanced as it filled the large space and
thickened the air around Longhis ramp, also
suspended in space and time. The imagery is
powerful as the king ascends the ramp.
The lighting concept for the play acted as an inventive
extension of the spatial use. Longhi had designed
the scenic space of the burned theater as a work of
architecture to accommodate its previous function
mltiples significados, como la comunicacin con
el futuro. Hasta la consideraron un icono.
Saba necesitaba una plataforma sobre el piso
de la platea, as que Longhi propuso utilizar la
mesa de piedra hecha para La vida es sueo.
Su dimensin era perfecta para la escala del
espacio y el pblico poda apreciarla plenamen-
te desde la mayor parte de las localidades.
El edificio derruido y los elementos aadidos
ofrecan de esta manera mltiples niveles para
la actuacin: la platea, la piedra, la rampa y el
palco presidencial.
while accepting the damage and current conditions.
One looming condition was the absence of the
ceilings. Longhi and Saba agreed to invite natural
light into the theater and work with the arching sun
to enhance the play. The play started in daylight at
four in the afternoon. The sun set during the climax,
followed by death and tragedy. Night would fall on
each performance for the closing scene. A silhouette
would walk along the almost invisible ramp over the
emptiness below. Its posture hung heavily as it
disappeared into the back portal as the light faded.
Luis Peirano, Dean of the School of Communications
at Universidad Catlica, said that Longhis ramp
had become the icon for theatre in Peru and an
enduring memory in Limas theatre community.
He used the transparent ramp as a symbol for a
theater television program, as well as a metaphor
for the new millennium. Longhis work on the Teatro
Municipal epitomizes his constant growth as an
architect and artist by showing his gift for intuitively
drawing inspiration from his rich and varied
experiences that lead to unexpected responses to
the unique demands of current situations.
Un factor importante en la escenificacin fue el
transcurrir del tiempo. Como no se cerraron las
aberturas del edificio y las funciones se daban
en las tardes, el pblico era testigo durante la
obra del progresivo desplazamiento de los ra-
yos del sol y el cambio en el aspecto del cielo
hasta el anochecer. Estas sensaciones se en-
riquecieron con una cortina agua muy fina, la
cual, ms que su impacto visual, aportaba el
sonido de las gotas sobre el suelo.
el rey lear
75
king lear
76
el rey lear
On my first visit he told me: Take good care of me. I am hurt!
I will feel better if my stage continues to be used as a stage, and no grief should come to visit.

En la primera visita l me dijo: Trtame con cuidado. Me duele todo!

Me aliviar que el escenario siga siendo escenario y que me visiten sin pena.

77
king lear
 I was holding these images, during my first visit to the burned
theater.

Estaban estas imgenes en mis manos cuando conmovido

observaba el teatro quemado.

78
el rey lear
 79
king lear
80
el rey lear
 81
king lear
82
el rey lear
 83
king lear
88
el rey lear
 89
king lear
90
el rey lear
91
94
el rey lear
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king lear
100
el rey lear
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king lear
 song of songs alfonso santistevan and edgar saba

Longhi continued interpreting natures basic
elements by inviting them into the theater as he
had done with the ocean in Elcine VIIIth Film
Festival. Longhi perceives earth, water, and
shelter as absolutes in human existence. The
essence of these elements can each be
represented by a single plane. As the plane is
La historia que Alfonso Santistevan y Edgar
Saba escribieron a partir del libro bblico giraba
en torno de una tribu de actores errantes que
viajaba por el desierto. Uno de los personajes
era carpintero. Estas dos par ticularidades hi-
cieron que Longhi se concentrara en la arena y
la madera, lo que le llev a relacionar El cantar
de los cantares con las tablas que se utilizan
en construccin, sobre las cuales se adhieren
la arena y el cemento. A partir de all, la solu-
cin para la escenografa fue simple y categ-
rica: haba que representar el desierto con aquel
material.
manipulated by cutting or folding, incredible
spaces start to develop, which can generate a
functioning space. The gently sloping planes of
the desert that converge with pre-Incan ruins
like Pachacmac inspired the set for Song of
Songs. Longhi observed that simple folds in the
plane or carved depressions could transform the
space into recognizable areas.
El espacio escnico nicamente estara ocupa- physical model of the wooden plane to discuss
do por una rampa de madera dotada de com-
puertas que, al desplazarse hacia arriba o ha-
cia abajo, formaran las distintas escenas re-
queridas. Podan representarse dunas y con-
cavidades en el desierto, una plaza, una mesa
e inclusive camas en posicin vertical gracias
a la combinacin de posiciones. A diferencia de
los planos inclinados utilizados en Las manos
sucias y en Elcine, esta superficie tena una Los operarios de construccin valoran mucho
pendiente moderada y era rgida para que se
actuase sobre ella.
Longhi designed a sloped wooden plane to
represent the desert landscape setting, where
two characters were in ancient times with their
love for each other. Originally, Longhi envisioned
two great angled planes of sand, one for the
audience and the other for the actors. He thought,
That would be great, but if you can not have the
real thing, you do not fake it. You abstract it.
So, Longhi and director Saba began with a small
Complement la rampa con hileras de sogas
verticales dispuestas a los lados del escena-
rio. stas cumplan una funcin similar a la tela
de mosquitero empleada en otras escenogra-
fas, definir espacios en los que se representa-
ban hechos que ocurran en una realidad dis-
tinta de la escena principal.
la madera porque es una herramienta de traba-
jo. Con ella levantan andamios, rampas y en-

Director: Edgar Saba Teatro: Centro Cultural de la Universidad Catlica Ao: 2005

190
el cantar de los cantares

how many cuts and folds were necessary to
create an adequate spatial environment for each
scene. For instance, a series of cuts could allow
a piece of the plane to be elevated to a horizontal
position and then be transformed into a table.
With three or four cuts, the director could do
everything he needed. They discussed the play
act by act until they had provided the required
props with a minimum number of cuts.
Ropes in the center space were utilized to move
and support the folding planes. The repetition of
the ropes along the sides of the slope delineated
cofrados. Por eso fue difcil convencerlos de
que la cedieran en alquiler temporalmente.
Longhi considera que el material empleado fue
clave en esta propuesta. La calidad de la textura
y el aspecto que adquiere por el uso reiterado es
muy particular. No poda aceptar una madera
nueva y darle un acabado que simulara la ptina
del tiempo, porque considera que la historia con-
alfonso santistevan y edgar saba
Director: Edgar Saba Theater: Centro Cultural de la Universidad Catlica Year: 2005
inner and outer spaces which could be used to
order the acts that happened in the present and
past. The audience could see beyond the primary
space and experience other places and times
through the ropes.
One of the most spectacular scenes was created
when two of the floor sections were erected into
vertical positions to represent the marital bed of
the two lovers. The audience was to imagine
they were viewing the beds from a birds eye
perspective, looking down on the couple, who
were separated, each standing in front of their
own wooden plane, or bed. Saba and co-author
Alfonso Santistevan were inspired by the book
tenida en la materia no se puede imitar y que ya
hay bastante actuacin en el teatro para preten-
der que un material simule ser lo que no es.
Estas razones no impidieron que le exigieran
limpiar las tablas para la comodidad de los ac-
tores, por lo que fueron pulidas y luego cubier-
el cantar de los cantares
of Song of Songs in the Bible and wrote a play,
which in some parts depicted the relationship
between Joseph and Mary. However, because
Peruvian society is predominantly Catholic, Saba
modified the names and had the couple
dramatically move in their separate spaces as
though dancing together in order to subtly, yet
powerfully suggest the consummation of their
marriage. Although the producers were anxious
to tamper with many crucial aspects throughout
the process, Longhi stood his ground because
he felt he had a clear visualization of how the set
would respond to the script. In the end, Saba
utilized the set design to its fullest potential. He
is fantastic in that! Longhi said of Saba.
tas con un sellador mate. Para satisfaccin del
arquitecto, el cemento y la arena estaban tan
impregnados y el efecto de la intemperie era
tan marcado que su calidad no fue menosca-
bada por el tratamiento.
191
song of songs
 A desert that transforms itself into architecture to occupy a stage,

El desierto se transforma en arquitectura para ocupar el escenario.

192
el cantar de los cantares
 193
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194
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 195
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196
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song of songs
202
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 203
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206
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 207
song of songs
l o n g h i

architecture on stage
During the last twelve years, the main theatres
from Lima hosted Luis Longhis stage designs.
The work of this Peruvian architect and
sculptor shows the distinctive vision of a space
molder and an ar tist sensitive to the material.
This book compiles the evolution of his
conceptual approach and the refinement of
formal language through the chronological
review of his most representative designs.

Durante los pasados doce aos, los principa-

les teatros de Lima han albergado las
escenografas de Luis Longhi, arquitecto y
escultor peruano. Sus creaciones evidencian
la par ticular visin de un modelador del espa-
cio y un ar tista sensible a la materia. Este
libro documenta la evolucin del enfoque con-
ceptual y el refinamiento del lenguaje formal a
travs de la revisin cronolgica de sus dise-
os ms representativos.
arquitectura en escena