A quick look around
Curious about Amare? Take a quick digital look around the several halls or take a look at the floor plans.
Amare
With four theatre and concert halls, a large number of public spaces and two catering establishments, Amare is large cultural centre. An institution for the performing arts, but also a secondary school and a conservatoire. A building that can accommodate up to 6,600 visitors at once for a variety of activities.
Each of Amare’s four halls has been placed separately into the building. That way, the sound vibrations remain within each hall, preventing any noise leakage between them. Special provisions, such as acoustic ceilings, panels and curtains, have also been installed in the halls themselves to guarantee the purest sound experience.
On Amare’s ground floor, a roofed, publicly accessible space runs all the way from Spuiplein to Turfmarkt on the other side. Here, visitors will find the box office ticket counters, the Kunstenplein, and a catering establishment with its own terrace. Beneath the building are a public parking garage and a public bicycle parking facility.
In addition to the various halls, the building also contains various study spaces and classrooms for the Royal Conservatoire’s music and dance students, studios for the dancers of Nederlands Dans Theater, and a rehearsal room for the musicians of the Residentie Orkest.
Danstheater
The Danstheater (the theatre hall) is one of the building’s true gems. After the Concertzaal, it is Amare’s hall with the most seatings. Part of the seating is on a balcony, so the atmosphere is more intimate than you might expect in a hall with 1300 seats. The colour scheme further sets the atmosphere; the palette of anthracite and golden hues is an original choice for a theatre hall, and gives the space a warm, modern character. Special attention has been paid to the acoustics, with the movable acoustic panels on every wall being particular eye-catchers. On the outside, the hall is recognisable from all angles due to its distinctive bamboo finish. As in Amare’s other spaces, the hall incorporates a pattern that references the architecture of the building’s facade.
The Danstheater will host the performances of Nederlands Dans Theater and all other major and mid-level Dutch dance companies, as well as the elite of international companies. It is here that you also will see the very best musicals, high-profile comedians, exciting performances and spectacular family shows. The hall is also extremely well suited for conventions and presentations.
Concertzaal
The Concertzaal is located on the second floor and is Amare’s largest hall. In this hall, visitors can view the stage not just from the front, but can also sit around and even behind it on the twin-level balconies that run around the whole hall. Acoustic panels have been installed all around the hall, and along with the green seats and oak flooring, the relief pattern on these panels defines the hall’s visual character.
The Concertzaal is multifunctional in nature. For pop concerts, all seats can be removed, the stage can be enlarged and specially designed mobile bars can be wheeled into the hall. In its “classic” setup, the hall can seat 1500 seated guests; in its “pop” setup, it easily accommodates 2500 standing.
This is the hall where the Residentie Orkest can truly shine – but there is plenty of room for other national and international orchestras, too. The pop programme is organised by Amare in collaboration with The Hague’s PAARD pop concert venue. The Concert Hall also hosts many conventions and presentations.
Conservatoriumzaal
Amare’s third hall is the Conservatoriumzaal, which is located on the fourth floor. It is oval in shape and can be used in very flexible ways – with or without a podium, for example, as the stage can be retracted into the rear wall. This offers a range of possibilities: the Conservatoriumzaal has a capacity of 300 guests. The hall has a rough, unpolished atmosphere: oak flooring, walls covered in wooden acoustic strips and plasterwork with a concrete look. The curtains, which can also cover the sides of the hall, are anthracite grey. This is a hall that lets you unwind while giving the performance all the room it needs.
This hall is the Royal Conservatoire’s hall, and can host some 300 concerts and performances per year, such as the Young Talent Projects, auditions and concerts by the Conservatoire’s various departments.
Amare Studio
Residentie Orkest The Hague will be relieved to have an in-house rehearsal room again – for that is precisely the purpose of this room, which also offers seats for 200 visitors. The room has a fresh, light atmosphere, thanks in the first place to the skylight which allows natural light to flood the room. In combination with the wooden walls, this gives the Amare Studio something of a Scandinavian look and feel. The walls and ceiling are finished with wood and plaster work with a concrete look, doubling as vitally important acoustic panels.
Aside from its use for the Residentie Orkest’s rehearsals (both public and private), this room can also be hired for conventions and receptions.
Brasserie Amare and Stadskantine
Amare houses two catering establishments: the Stadskantine on the third floor and Brasserie Amare by Luden on the ground floor.
The Stadskantine is also literally the cafeteria for the dancers, musicians, students and staff of Amare and also open for the public. Everyone is welcome all day, every day for a cup of coffee, lunch, or daily menu, so Amare’s cafeteria might just become your favourite hangout!
On the ground floor, by the entrance facing Spui, you’ll find the second catering establishment: Brasserie Amare by Luden. Here, everything revolves around a passion for food and hospitality. Brasserie Amare is open for breakfast, lunch, drinks and dinner.
Amare’s public spaces
Amare contains a lot of public space that is accessible all day for everyone. Between Spuiplein and Turfmarkt, Amare has one big underpass that is always accessible. At the Spuiplein end, the underpass is wide, with a long wooden bench integrated into the wall on one side. Across from it is the Kunstenplein, where you can admire many ongoing exhibitions.
Moving towards the station, you will find a wide set of wooden and concrete stairs to your right, which we call the Tribunetrap. This can serve as a platform for many (small) concerts and performances. Going up, you can follow the escalators, leading up to the cloakroom area and the halls. Visitors can also go all the way to the Stadskantine (city cafeteria) on the third floor.
The idea behind the various elements, passages and nooks is for Amare to feel like a city where you can meander through streets and across squares and encounter unexpected surprises. A lot of freely accessible events are organised in the public spaces as a part of Open Amare. Varying from urban to classical music to yoga, with both professional and amateur artists from The Hague and beyond. Everyone is welcome. Amare is a home for the whole of The Hague.
Nieuwe Kerk
On the other side of Spuiplein, immediately across from Amare, lies one of the most splendid churches of The Hague: the Nieuwe Kerk. This unique location hosts unforgettable musical experiences, thanks in part to the excellent view that the audience has of the musicians, creating an intimate atmosphere. With the outstanding acoustics, attending a concert in Nieuwe Kerk is an unforgettable experience.
More about Amare:
Article
