The Rorate concerts on the Julier Pass are inspired by the liturgy of the Advent. In the dark hours of December, before dawn breaks, the Red Tower resounds with Latin chants inspired by prophetic texts that tell of a dark Advent, of hope for the completion of the world and of the return of sunlight.
THE PLACE. Origen’s Babylonian Tower on the Julier Pass was ceremonially opened in summer 2017. The temporary structure commemorates the origin of western culture in the Mesopotamian region: Babylon is still considered the cradle of civilisation today. Long before the culture of the Greeks and Romans changed the face of the earth, an early advanced civilisation emerged in Mesopotamia that continues to shape us today. The myth of the failed Tower of Babel has had a profound influence on European and Oriental cultural history. The tower has become a symbol of the human condition, which is marked by departure and failure, pride and powerlessness, permanence and transience.
THE THEATRE. The idea of a theatre tower in the High Alps is unique in the history of European theatre construction. With its strong reference to the landscape, the Julier Tower takes up the Greek theatre. The Roman arena is mirrored in the concentric stage. Medieval cultic theatre forms are cited in the sacred aura of the Tower. There are borrowings from the Shakespearean stage, which projects into the auditorium and is illuminated by daylight. The arcaded boxes are reminiscent of baroque theatre. The extreme verticality of the space, the presence of the archaic landscape, the natural play of light and the timeless symbolism make the building unique in the world.