Our proposal, Tides of Memory, explores the deep relationship between history, nature, and atmosphere to reimagine the UNESCO Ancient Theatre in Ohrid as both a cultural icon and a public center.

Drawing from the theatre’s iconic stepped geometry, we extend its rippling form into the surrounding topography and into the new canopy. The result is a terraced landscape that doubles as both circulation and park, activating the neglected edges of the site while guiding visitors seamlessly toward the performance space.

The existing theatre seating is carefully rehabilitated through the introduction of new access stairs and the selective cladding of key steps in corten steel. These interventions create defined seating zones for performances while emphasizing the stepped and concentric rhythm of the theatre and its landscape.

Our design seeks not to overwhelm the embedded memory of the theatre, but to enhance and extend its essence. The terraced landscape becomes a living framework, where micro-architectures such as ticket booths, restrooms, cafés, and kiosks are embedded as subtle follies within the park. These interventions support the theatre’s cultural role while creating a vibrant year-round destination for locals and visitors alike.

At the heart of the project, the new stage and canopy emerge as a wave peeled from the earth itself. Light and translucent, this atmospheric veil frames performances against Lake Ohrid and the surrounding landscape, preserving views while inviting audiences to experience culture in dialogue with nature and history.

Ultimately, Tides of Memory draws from Ohrid’s past to create a contemporary landmark, one that strengthens the theatre’s centrality and repositions it as a renewed gathering place for the city.

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