Whilst the Almeida was rebuilding it acquired a series of temporary venues to maintain its presence by staging a number of one off shows. We were commissioned to build two low cost temporary theatre spaces. A temporary theatre in a derelict power station Shoreditch, London |
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Constructed in the late nineteenth century as a coal fired power station to supply the Metropolitan railway, this huge industrial structure in Shoreditch was converted to film studios in 1919. It was here that the young Alfred Hitchcock made most of his early work including ‘The Lady Vanishes’. By 1999 the building was derelict, scheduled for partial demolition and conversion to apartments. The Almeida Theatre, searching for a temporary venue in which to stage large scale productions of Richard II and Coriolanus, negotiated a one year lease from the developer and asked |  |
Haworth Tompkins to convert the studios for the lowest possible cost. We returned the great turbine hall to its original volume by the demolition of an intermediate floor, creating a single space over 25m high. The remainder of the building was treated almost entirely as ‘found’ material containing the various bars and foyers. Scaffold staircases, ramps and simple cut openings were inserted to deal with the complex fire escape and circulation requirements for an audience of 900. |  |
It was important for us to maintain the sense of discovery and risk one feels on first entering a derelict building. Basic soundproofing was installed and a simple scaffold seating system developed to create a large courtyard auditorium on three levels, maximising contact between audience and performers and reducing the apparent width of the space. Original openings were retained for scenic effect and a large fissure made in the gable wall of the stage, part of Paul Brown’s epic set design. | |
We worked very closely with the theatre’s technical team, sharing resources and developing the architectural and theatrical aspects of the project simultaneously. Much of the design work was finalised on site. The result was a spectacular but surprisingly intimate auditorium, in which the old building was allowed to become an integral and essential part of the performances. Having played to full houses for every performance throughout the summer of 2000, the venue closed at the end of the season and has now been demolished as planned. |  |
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ALMEIDA AT GAINSBOROUGH STUDIOS Client: Almeida Theatre Value: £750,000 Completed March 2000 |
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| 19-20 Great Sutton Street London EC1V 0DR T (44) 020 7250 3225 F (44) 020 7250 3226 |
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