The dodecagon is composed of a layered column structure that forms two concentric rings around the central space. The inner ring, covered by its own roof is integrated with the central space by the extension of the arc of the seating. The unroofed outer ring serves as a passageway for the actors. If it rains the play is still performed. When the actors finish and exit through this passage, the audience cannot see them only hear their voices. 


How Buddhist monks read prayers at temples, it sounds better when you hear it from outside the building, Its better just to hear the sound without watching the prayers. (Tadao Ando comments on the noise within the theatre space).


Seating
These seats are located in between pipes so people can sit within the structure. The structural system of the building and the seating don't align perfectly. The concept it to contain something that is not perfect in a perfect world.


A theatre should be a place where audience and actors get emotionally involved through the many possibilities that are generated, actors can appear on stage from different directions, the audience can physically surround actors and vice versa. As in the hana-michi of traditional kabuki, actors sometimes emerge from the back of the theatre and run through the audience to the stage.

Backstage
The backstage is all underneath, so there are always actors beneath the audience. There is one large room that serves for both dressing and set storage. Some sheets of plywood flooring were left unattached so that actors could raise them to come out. Many interesting unexpected openings are prepared on stage so that actors can come out from here and there.


Formally, this theatre is quite different from Japanese traditional theatre. Hearing voices from underneath or elsewhere without seeing them makes the audience feel that they are surrounded by the actors world. In Europe, a piazza could become a theatre and in Japan, a small side street or temple courtyard could do the same. This small and simple form of theatre eventually became large enough to be our modern theatre. So in principle, we should assume that stages exist everywhere in a city. What Tadao Ando has done here is to cover one part of the city with a roof.