Gandon Editions publish Lyric Theatre book



The latest book from Irish publisher, Gandon Editions, focuses the Sterling Prize short-listed Lyric Theatre in Belfast. Designed by Dublin architects O'Donnell + Toumey, with Theatreplan, the Lyric opened in May 2011.

Working closely with the architectural and design team Theatreplan developed the complex seating arrangments in the main auditorium, and provided designs for the special stage proscenium to help transform the auditorium from an intimate to an epic environment. In addition, the theatre was constructed with a V-shaped roof, which required the design of a special grid structure.

The Lyric represented an unusual and challenging experience for the entire design team and as Theatreplan project leader, Dave Ludlum, commented, "the amount of innovation brought into this project was truly remarkable".

The 112-page, fully-illustrated book includes essays by Mark Carruthers, David Leatherbarrow, Michael McGarry and an interview by Vincent Woods. 

Available, price €20.00 from Gandon Distribution, email gandon@eircom.net

ISBN: 978 0946846 436

112 pages colour

22x17cm 126 illus (incl 36 drgs)

 

Theatreplan's Award-Winning Theatres: Case Studies

For more than four decades, members of the Theatreplan team have been creating theatres, opera houses, concert halls, and arts centres around the globe.

Working in collaboration with architectural practices we have created new theatres such as the Lyric Theatre, Belfast (2012: RIBA Stirling Prize short-list); Hampstead Theatre, London (2003: RIBA Award); and the Michael Croft Theatre, Alleyn’s School London (2011: RIBA Award).

Our Case Studies offer an insight into these projects. Download them here

Old Fire Station wins Civic Trust Award

Theatreplan project, the Arts at the Old Fire Station in Oxford was the winner of a 2013 Civic Trust award for Community Recognition, announced at a ceremony held at City Hall in Cardiff on Sunday 10 March.

Designed by Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios, with theatre planning and technical consultancy services provided by Theatreplan, the Arts at the Old Fire Station is a charity and social enterprise, offering a range of performances and exhibitions for everyone. The venue comprises a theatre offering music and drama: a studio for all kinds of dance, workshops for artists to make work, a shop and Gallery with a wide range of exhibitions.

The £2.3 million redevelopment project opened in 2011 and won the 2012 APM Project Management Community Project of the Year award.

Bedford School Project

Theatreplan is delighted to hear that the project to renovate and convert the Grade II listed St Luke’s Church into a new 300-seat performing arts centre for Bedford School has been approved by Bedford Borough Council. Theatreplan will be working with lead architect Foster Wilson Architects and acoustician Paul Gillieron Acoustic Design.

The new galleried theatre will be a flat-floored flexible studio space created by inserting a new steel structure within the volume of the existing church. The existing balcony will be retained but extended forward and re-tiered, to provide good sightlines to the stage area. Two levels of new galleries will be inserted at the sides, together with high level suspensions for scenery and stage lighting. The lower gallery will be used for the audience while the upper gallery will provide technical facilities and a control room. A new single storey rear extension will be added to provide foyer and back stage facilities, radiating around the apsidal end of the chancel and opening onto a landscaped garden.

John Whittaker, who is leading the Theatreplan team said, “I am looking forward to working with Tim Foster and his team on this exciting project.”

 

 

St James Theatre Victoria

On Monday 17th of December, members of the Society of Theatre Consultants visited the St James Theatre in Victoria, London.

St. James Theatre is the first newly built theatre complex in central London for 30 years. It features a 312 seat theatre and a 100 seat studio theatre and a brasserie and lobby bar offering delicious food, fine wines and cocktails.

They were shown around the Theatre by Christopher Waterhouse the St James Operations Manager.

He seems to be pleased with the facilities in the theatre which has been heavily used since it opened its doors in September this year.

Theaterplan are also very proud of this theatre which is proving to be very successful and widely liked.

Below are a couple of photos taken during the STC visit.

Further information about the St James Theatre can be found on their web site.

http://www.stjamestheatre.co.uk/

Southport Cultural Centre

Mathew Smethurst Evans was in Southport last week to inspect the installations at the Southport Cultural Centre which is being refurbished.
Work is progressing well, and it is expected that the venue will be completed early next year (2013) although the actual handover date is not yet know by Theatreplan.

Final inspections and commissioning taking place in December and January 2013.

Refurbishments includes new technical infrastructure for both venues (sound and communications, lighting), new dimmers, get-in lift, motorised fly bars, and refurbished hemp sets.

Mathew says "The place is generally looking very good, there are areas that are still very much a building site though." Still the Studio and the main venue are both now looking pretty smart, see the photos below.

                                         Studio Theatre

                                          Main Auditorium looking towards the Stage

                                         New seating and freshly decorated light colours

 
Photo of auditorium before the refurbishment dark colour scheme and odd seats in parts of the house.

We will post some more photos in the new year following our next site visit.

                                          

USITT Announces Architecture Award Recipients for 2013

Theatreplan is proud to be associated with Garsington Opera Pavilion on the Wormsley Estate in Stokenchurch, High Wycombe, United Kingdom. Which has been awarded a Merit award for Architecture by the United States Institute for Theatre Technology.

The elegant, Japanese-inspired pavilion was designed by Snell Associates to be put up and dismantled each season. It was finished in May 2011 at a cost of $2.8 million (1.8 million British pounds).

USITT’s Architecture Awards are chosen based on creativity, contextual resonance, functional operation, use of new technology and community contribution. Each project will be represented in a special exhibit at USITT’s 2013 Stage Expo, where an awards reception will be held in their honor.

USITT’s Architecture Commission sponsors the awards, which are chosen by a panel that recommends them to the Board of Directors for final approval. The panel for the 2013 awards included Chicago-based Theatre Designer Robert Shook of Schuler Shook, Dawn Schuette, architect and designer with Threshold Acoustics in Chicago, and Architect Timothy Hartung of Ennead Architects in New York.

                                        Garsington Opera Pavilion Stage

                             Picnic tents with Opera Pavilion behind on a rainy 

                             preview evening in May 2011.