This exciting project started out as a slightly odd combination of a new sports and fitness facility together with a new state of the art, 500 seat flexible Theatre and rehearsal space.
These slightly disparate functions were arranged along a white textured ‘proscenium wall’ that ran the length of the building with back-of house – offices, changing rooms, plant rooms and the theatre stage to the rear of the proscenium wall and the public spaces to the front. These included the 8 lane 25m pool, kids play, ‘theatre’ bar and the 500-seat theatre itself. The seating was to be on hovercraft units which would float away into the basement to create a flat function floor when needed and otherwise would have excellent viewing angles and acoustics to the stage.
Sadly, politics got in the way part way through construction with a change of local council who took the opportunity to cut out the theatre, literally cutting up the theatre basement floor and remaining feature V shaped columns to prevent the rest of the building being constructed in the future.
Copyright 2020