New venue

[Marineboy63]

We've just been informed that, as part of a general expansion of facilities, we may well be getting a new theatre built.

 

Unfortunately, the architects will be the same people who built the current venue..........

 

So, in order to prevent the same mistakes happening again, I would like to be armed with as much good theatre knowledge as possible.

I have a lot of opinions on the subject having been involved in a few new builds, but what I could really do with, instead of a long list of disaster stories, is some examples of really good theatres.

 

 

 

Any style or purpose, just good theatre designs. Usable, practical, mainly from a technical / backstage perspective........

 

 

 

Any suggestions...?

[jonathanhill]

How closely involved in the building of this venue will you be? How able are you to get your requirements of the venue across to either the architects or the consultants?

 

I would try to get a good theatre consultancy on board as early in the process as possible. I would also make a comprehensive list of what you would like to see in the venue, starting with the broad ideas like the type of performance space, right through to the details such as will we require an OB supply in the dock, for example.

 

Remember that architects want to design pretty buildings that will win them RIBA awards. Function is often relegated to second place. The role of the theatre consultant will be to try and redress this imbalance.

 

 

 

 

 

[andy_s]

This book if you haven't seen it before is quite interesting, presents some case studies that are worth having a look at.

[bruce]

 

Remember that architects want to design pretty buildings that will win them RIBA awards. Function is often relegated to second place.

 

Also, architects tend to have less interest in how a building works 2 years down the line than how it works on day 1.

 

I remember going to presentation on a design for a new building with a group of colleagues - a mix of architects and building services people. It was quite a spectacular space, with a large atrium. The architects were enthusing about the design, the light, the airy-ness, the way that the materials blended into.....blah blah...

 

The building services people said "How do you propose we clean those roof windows and service those lights?"

 

Get a good consultant.

[Cheeseweasel]

Remember that architects want to design pretty buildings that will win them RIBA awards. Function is often relegated to second place.

 

Also, architects tend to have less interest in how a building works 2 years down the line than how it works on day 1.

 

I remember going to presentation on a design for a new building with a group of colleagues - a mix of architects and building services people. It was quite a spectacular space, with a large atrium. The architects were enthusing about the design, the light, the airy-ness, the way that the materials blended into.....blah blah...

 

The building services people said "How do you propose we clean those roof windows and service those lights?"

 

Get a good consultant.

 

That reminds me of a local MOD site where I was involved in installing some equipment a while back: nice, new open-plan buildings with large glass-roofed atriums. We were told we had to wait before we could load in because there was a cherry picker in the atrium and H&S policy meant the area was temporarily closed off. The reason? A light bulb needed changing http://www.blue-room.org.uk/public/style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif. The building/estates people thought it was comical.

[Marineboy63]

Fair point's all.

 

Any good venues tho....?

[andy_s]

the Theatre Buildings book has 30 examples of theatres in the UK and abroad to look at..., so worth getting hold of a copy.

 

one or two personal recommendations of purpose-built spaces I think work quite well (with the proviso that they may not work for what you want to do with your own space) might include the Gulbenkian Studio at Hull University, Unicorn Theatre in London, the Drum at Plymouth, the studio at Arts Depot in North London, the Egg Theatre in Bath (actually a conversion, but once you are inside it's to all intents and purposes a new build, the Minerva at Chichester.

 

All of them have their own limitations, but you didn't want negative comments, so I won't dwell on those. The reason I think they work well is different for each space - it could be intimacy, it could be facilities, it could be practicality. I can't think of a perfect space to recommend, go and see as many as possible!

 

Oh, and I agree with the others - a good theatre consultant is very useful, but make sure they know exactly what you want, it's their job to get it for you.

[kerry davies]

For decent theatres to work in, get out of Wales and look around. Arts Depot has positives and negatives but while up there take a look at Chicken Shed as well. I loved working with Dave Thompson at the Bacon Theatre in Cheltenham which is also on-campus, though the campus is a private school.

 

I have heard good things from Theatre by the Lake in Keswick and Drum though personally never worked them and your best bet is to go see for yourself. Talk to the crews about what works and what doesn't and then make your list.

 

One perfect example of not joining the dots is the Bacon load-in doors being huge and right at stage level. You back up a 7.5 tonner and it matches height exactly BUT. To do that they made the ramp outside so steep it is a pain pushing things uphill on load-in and having them all slide into a heap on load-out.

 

I think it is worth while taking the negatives on board for just that reason. One side of that equation is perfection but it means that it doesn't quite work out that way on the other side of the doors.

[emsgeorge]

contact the boys at Chichester festival theatre.

 

They have just been through 2 years of 'the process' and I'm sure, will talk you through some of the pitfalls.

 

Especially things like 'air con ducts through the scene dock' which effectively lowered the ceiling by a few feet .......

[jonathanhill]

Fair point's all.

 

Any good venues tho....?

 

What do you want it to be?

 

Proscenium arch with fly tower?

 

Thrust?

 

Concert platform?

 

Multiple or single use?

 

Something else entirely?

[top-cat]

Fair point's all.

 

Any good venues tho....?

 

What do you want it to be?

 

Proscenium arch with fly tower?

 

Thrust?

 

Concert platform?

 

Multiple or single use?

 

Something else entirely?

 

Yes - this and also what kind of theatre are we talking?! 200 cap community venue or 2000 seater international opera house?

 

I could mention the southbank centre lighting bridges, not just capable of flying in and out but also up and down stage which is very useful. But are you big enough and well budgeted enough to make use of these features which will require a large roof space with very high weight capacity?

 

I could mention lifts to the grid found in many modern theatres. But will you have a grid?

 

I could mention load in straight to stage with no slopes or stairs to navigate... But is there any space to even make this possible?

 

I do think a bit more info on what you are going for will help

People decide if their suggestion is relevant.

[Dave m]

I think it's a Uni theatre.

 

what is the budget/size/use?

 

an extension to an existing space, or new build in a car park?

tech spaces as wel or just a performance box

[Marineboy63]

At this stage(!) plans are very fluid.

 

 

 

I don't want specifics, just theatres you've worked in that worked well and why.

 

 

 

Small, big, pros, studio. Anything.

 

More about layout and space design than specific technical attributes.

Technical whistles and bells come and go but a good building lasts..........

 

I might, for instance suggest the Stephen Joseph Theatre in Scarborough for it's accesable grid and it's open, inviting backstage areas.

 

Theatres that you just enjoy working in.

[Junior8]

contact the boys at Chichester festival theatre.

 

They have just been through 2 years of 'the process' and I'm sure, will talk you through some of the pitfalls.

 

Especially things like 'air con ducts through the scene dock' which effectively lowered the ceiling by a few feet .......

 

This is a good suggestion. I visited the open day there last week and learnt an awful lot about just how much care had gone into making the building workable. Yes it is a Grade 2* listed building and looks from the auditorium pretty much the same as ever but go backstage and it certainly isn't! As for the Minerva I suspect it is a difficult space to work in many respects but you can see why actors love playing it. You could have a worse model. Based on past experience I would only make two suggestions. Get involved as early as possible. Employ an acoustics consultant.

[themadhippy]

One perfect example of not joining the dots is the Bacon load-in doors being huge and right at stage level. You back up a 7.5 tonner and it matches height exactly BUT. To do that they made the ramp outside so steep it is a pain pushing things uphill on load-in and having them all slide into a heap on load-out.

And an even bigger pain in a van,we ended up lifting everything up onto the dock,also seem to recal a bit of an issue running the foh multi,but it was a few years back