Dorita Hannah

Dorita Hannah is a New Zealand architect, independent academic, visual artist and designer. She has had an architectural practice, taught at various institutions in New Zealand and internationally, and has published articles and book chapters including Event-Space: Theatre Architecture and the Historical Avant-Garde.

Education Hannah trained in architecture, receiving her BArch (hons) at the University of Auckland in 1984. She received two postgraduate degrees at New York University: a Master of Arts with Distinction in Performance Studies in 2000, and a PhD with Distinction from the Tisch School of the Arts in 2008.

Professional life Hannah had an architectural practice with Felicity Wallace called Hannah Wallace Architects. They designed the Watershed Theatre (1991-1996) on Auckland's waterfront.

Hannah's practice and research focus on performance space and spatial performativity, spanning the spatial, visual, performing and culinary arts. She specialises in theatre architecture and performance space, and her designs "incorporate scenography, interior, exhibition and installation design".

Selected artistic works Architect for the Watershed Theatre, Auckland, 1991 and again in 1993. Exhibition curator and designer of Now/Next Performance Space at the Crossroads in 2011. Co-curator and director of design for Fluid States at Performance Studies International PSi #21 in 2015. Architecture and performance designer for Flood in 2015. Design director and co-curator, PhoneHome exhibition, Architecture and Urbanism Biennial in Valparaíso, Chile in 2017. Scenographer for Emily Perkin's play The Made, at Auckland Theatre Company in 2022. Her book is based on her PhD in Performance Studies of the same name. She was also nominated for the same awards in 1995 for costume design and set design, and in 1996 for costume design.

In 2023 and 2017, Hannah was a finalist for the A+W•NZ Dulux Awards, based on a career devoted to supporting and promoting diversity in architecture. Several of her works have been chosen to be exhibited at the Prague Quadrennial (PQ), and she has also participated at PQ as core creative team member, international juror and international commissioner.