The National Theatre Studio was the first purpose built theatre workshop in the country when completed in 1958 by architects Lyons Israel Ellis. In 2005 it was Grade II listed as a seminal work of English Brutalism but was seriously dilapidated and struggled to live up to its reputation as the 'engine room' of British theatre.
Conversion of a 1950s workshop for theatre research
Waterloo, London |
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Haworth Tompkins won a competition in 2004 to renovate and extend the building to provide two rehearsal studios, a new publicly accessible archive for the National Theatre as well as an education centre and private study rooms for writers. |
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Redevelopment has aimed to retain the robust practicality of the original design, while opening the building up to a greater diversity of theatrical experiment. The old scenery painting wall forms the spine of a newly rationalised circulation route and has been left drenched in layers and layers of paint. |
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The architectural approach to new spaces retains the uncompromisingly robust hierarchy of original and more temporary scenic materials - structural concrete frame, painted brickwork partitioning, quarry tiled or granolithic floors with Douglas fir screens and furniture. |
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New additions to the building include the education studio which has been inserted into the old loading bay, whilst rationalization of existing accommodation has allowed the creation of seminar, meeting, and changing rooms with newly inserted technical, storage and plant rooms. |
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Cross Section through Studios |
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The old paint splattered scenery painting wall retained. |
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New office corridor |
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New archive reading room |
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Education Studio |
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Top room studio |
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"The genius in this act of refurbishment is that we never lost 'our building' at any time even in the stripped out 'shell state'.
We are now back and inhabiting a superb piece of work where the activities we undertake have increased threefold yet the flow of people through the building is as comfortable as ever.
The Studio has always been about risk and the fantastically improved conditions have liberated and released us to go yet further and, most of all, our spirit and that of our building remains intact."
Eddie Keogh, Studio Manager |
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National Theatre Studio
Client: The Royal National Theatre
Value: £4.5m
Completion: February 2008
Photography: Philip Vile
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