Bourla Theatre (also known as Bourlaschouwburg) is a theatre located in

Antwerp Antwerp (; nl, Antwerpen ; french: Anvers ; es, Amberes) is the largest city in Belgium by area at and the capital of Antwerp Province in the Flemish Region. With a population of 520,504,

that seats around 900. The building is designed in a neoclassical style on the site of the former Tapissierspand tapestry market. The theatre was designed on request from the city in 1827 by the city architect

Pierre Bourla Pierre Bruno Bourla (19 December 1783 – 31 December 1866) was a Paris-born Belgian architect. He was the city architect in Antwerp from 1819 to 1861, and a professor of architecture at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp. His most famous wo ...

. Construction began in 1829, but was delayed due to the

Belgian Revolution The Belgian Revolution (, ) was the conflict which led to the secession of the southern provinces (mainly the former Southern Netherlands) from the United Kingdom of the Netherlands and the establishment of an independent Kingdom of Belgium. T ...

. The theatre was finally finished in 1834 and opened under the name, Grand Théâtre or Théâtre Royal Français, on account of its ownership by a French company. Presently, the Bourla houses the theatre company Het Toneelhuis, which is a merger of the companies, Koninklijke Nederlandse Schouwburg and Blauwe Maandag Compagnie. The Bourla is the last remaining municipal theatre in Europe with original

stage machinery Stage machinery, also known as stage mechanics, comprises the mechanical devices used to create special effects in theatrical productions. See also * Scenic design Scenic design (also known as scenography, stage design, or set design) is the ...

, which fill five levels above and below the stage. The building has been named a protected building since 1938, and therefore is regarded among the most important historic buildings in Belgium.

References

External links

Website van de Bourlaschouwburg
{{Authority control Theatres in Belgium Buildings and structures in Antwerp Tourist attractions in Antwerp Culture in Antwerp 7 Most Endangered Programme