The Barbican Estate of the City of London was opened in 1982 after a long design and construction period on a site which had been badly bombed during World War II. The City of London Corporation sought to redevelop the large area with careful planning to create a mixed-use residential, arts, education and performing arts centre, the largest of its kind in Europe. Designed by Chamberlin, Powell & Bon the brutalist estate remains a symbol for the city’s recovery after the war. History is embedded into the site and surrounding buildings which led to its status as a grade II listed building.

The site has changed over time, particularly the City of London School for Girls situated at the core. The school has been extended multiple times to accommodate expansion of the curriculum and enrolment. Recently, the school planned to expand but the controversial scheme was rejected as residents believed specific views would be blocked and the site would be altered greatly. The history of the site is an integral to the residents and enables them to understand the social, political and cultural heritage. Future generations are allowed to observe history.

This proposal takes the position that the school would be best served to be relocated on the (soon to be vacated) Museum of London site which will allow the school to have modern buildings with better links to transport and other infrastructure. In its place two new theatres are proposed which augment the Barbican’s ability to stage specific productions and to add to the cultural possibilities of the estate.

The proposal aims to respect the stylistic heritage of the site, incorporating historical elements and motifs of the site. The Barbican is built primarily with concrete and brick. Particularly fascinating is the bush hammered rough texture of the façades. This proposal uses concrete sparingly with sustainable methods that has precast thin textured concrete panels mounted on sustainable mass timber structural components.

The massing is kept simple and efficient, and the architectural focus is on the surface detail. The borrowed barbican semi-circular ‘cartuoche’ motifs are deployed at several scales in the facades. The original architects subtly embedded these forms around the site for windows, doors, vents and smaller elements such as elevator buttons and air vents. The existing footprint of the school informs the proposal and sets guides concerning building height, form and layout and reuse of existing footings. The proposal also incorporates apartments for performers which have been designed in a duplex configuration similar to the Le Corbusier Unite d’Habitation inspired existing Barbican housing.

The goal of this project is to create a structure that supports the existing functions of the surrounding buildings and appreciates the historical value of the architectural elements. The site has numerous facilities such as theatre spaces, conservatory and restaurants which had to be taken into consideration to ensure space is used effectively. The lake and redesigned green space play an integral role in providing fresh air, aiding the mental well-being of users and residents and an energy source aiding the function of the building.

‘Never Demolish, Never Replace’(1)

This project gives an alternative reading of city regeneration by designing a cultural institution which adds large and complex programs into an existing structure as a research on adaptive reuse.

This new theatre proposal reuses and occupies the historic former Lower Campsfield market building in Manchester for an intervention which revives the building’s connection with the people and city context in terms of urban history, geography, and topography. The focus of the intervention as a theatrical piece is to reflect, stimulate and re-invent the long-standing connection and memory between people and the city using the historic building as a mean of interaction. As Rossi(2) puts it , “One can say that the city itself is the collective memory of its people, and like memory it is associated with objects and places, The city is the locus of the collective memory”. Moreover, the design intervention, in a wider context, explores the interaction of the architectural presence of a theatre in the city as a means of cultural expression.

Manchester is one of the UK’s biggest cultural hubs and this proposal will play a role in boosting the cultural evolution of the city. The existing structure is Victorian grade 2 listed, the intention is to preserve the majority of the building’s structure and façade. In response to the brief, the proposal has a clear and recognizable organization that allows the program to fit within the existing building’s internal and external context also using sustainable materials with low embodied carbon energy. The operational theme of the proposal is to overlap the programs of food market and dining with theater and performance. Dining becomes part of a larger cultural experience and revives some of the aspects of ‘Dinner Theatre’. The proposal offers an intervention that will culturally and socially respond to its locality with a direct link with the history and culture of people.

1. Lacaton & Vassal Manifesto 2004

2. A.Rossi, The Architecture of the City 1984

THEATRE EAST

The scheme inhabits the existing courtyard at Here East in East London. The site was originally used as the press and broadcasting centre for the London 2012 Olympics communicating the sporting event to people internationally. Similarly, the proposal aims to communicate arts and theatre to people who visit the space. The existing buildings, refurbished by Hawkins Brown in 2018 are now used as workspace for various tech and creative companies as well as educational facilities such as The Bartlett and Loughborough University.

Currently, the site acts as an access route to the existing Here East buildings, and the proposal aims to improve this. An entrance and reception works to guide visitors in the correct direction of where they need to go. The site will remain permeable so people can continue to use it to pass from north to south as a route to and from Stratford railway station.

The two theatres are located at each end of the site, with an elevated walkway which provides a physical and visual connection between the two structures. In the centre of the walkway is a studio space for the design and creation of costumes which will be used in performances on the site. This is open and visible to the public , giving guests an insight into the art of costume design, so they can see what is achieved to create this part of the show.

Hidden within the existing buildings of Here East are office, rehearsal spaces, toilet and cloakroom facilities, which service the theatres, leaving the lobby space open and undisturbed.

The theatre structures are individually isolated structures that sit within the overall building envelope, with the vast lobby space acting as a buffer between the theatres and the external environmental elements. The envelope helps to ventilate the spaces by creating a natural stack, with fresh air entering through the south façade, capturing warm waste heat from the existing data centre located within Here East, which then enters the theatre spaces at a low velocity under each seat . The heat rises and leaves through the roof of the building envelope – which is an ETFE roof with opening vents – into the atmospheric air.

The ETFE roof is supported by five trusses which span the width of the site, as well as compression rings which support the higher roof panels. The structural elements throughout the site are exposed, such as the services, columns, trusses and tension cable. The exposure and connection with the structure marries with the exposure of the hybrid use, linking the public with the design and manufacture of theatre costume within the space.

The obsession word which has been continued from the Vertical Studio project is suspension. Within the theatre-in-the-round, the structure relies on different suspended elements, with the balconies being suspended from the structure above.

Both theatre structures are raised above ground, allowing them to appear suspended above the ground floor level. The raised walkway connecting these two structures allows visitors to feel they are suspended above ground.

This theme was also used in the set design element, with suspended mirrors above the stage within the theatre-in-the-round. These added depth and variation to the performance for each different audience remember because each eye line would catch the light and reflections differently.

A building that will last a lifetime would be a desire for any designer as it leaves a legacy for future generations to appreciate. The accepted new building ‘life’ expectancy is to be at least 60 years but who is to know how the users or members of public are to react to the building either when it is first built or at any point during their life. This project looks to respond to the controversial building of the Assembly Rooms in Derby, that presents this scenario of loved vs. loathed.

Located in the Derby Market Place, the Assembly Rooms, by Casson Condor Architects, has been vacant since 2014, due to a fire on the adjacent car park, consequentially leaving Derby without a performance venue. Instead of refurbishing the Brutalist building, that uses a raw concrete frame structure and distinct forms, the City Council have decided to demolish without a realistic plan for its replacement. Countering this decision with an alternative proposal was the desire for this project, in ensuring the building is celebrated and incorporates an intervention to reconnect the community, becoming an urban regenerator.

The problems identified with this site was that it lacked a clear entrance, a divide was present between the Market Place and Cathedral Green and the spaces inside the building seemed cluttered. Public opinions were divided on what this building had meant to them but in order for the project to respond to the global targets of reducing carbon emissions, demolition would have to be carefully considered and further emphasis put on retrofitting.

Key issues with the site were identified from the offset to ensure that it is respected, and a retrofitting approach, alongside an extension, was applied. The proposed large glazed foyer links each of the performing spaces, taking away the unpleasant courtyard and instead adding a layer of permeability with a clear entrance. The broken connection of the Cathedral Green to the city, through a bisecting road, was addressed with a new theatre, allowing users to interact and enjoy nature, by extending the green space. The negative impact on the environment that demolishing the existing car park causes was tackled, by using locally sourced timber for the structure and stone for cladding, complimenting the existing framework and made for disassembly so it can be repurposed and adapted, if ever required.

Regenerating this site throughout the day was applied with the use of recreating the outdoor market and activating frontages with a hydroponic growing unit, providing further income for the council. Bringing the community into the proposed spaces and allowing them to hire for, events, rehearsals and meetings, the Civic building becomes highly active and creates a newly enhanced experience, in the hope that the public rebuild their pride for the existing structure that demonstrates a part of the city’s history.

Beastmarket Theatre

The proposal is a theatre with two auditoriums in the context of Market Square, Nottingham. The theatre places great significance in its approach towards integrating program and context. Its orientation on the site reinforces its own prominence and that of the adjoining Market Square to enhance the urban center. The destination is varied from others in Nottingham not only through the architectural design but also through the performance types that focus on the lost arts.

The site is the former Market Square House office building, which had great vacancy levels and added very little to the public realm. Furthermore, the former offices acted as a barrier between the Market Square and the wider city; demolishing the largely vacant office tower helped to reconnect sight lines between the Town Hall and the Nottingham Castle.

The exterior design of the building had to respond to the context of the Market Square; it was clear that an ordered and well-mannered approach would help the building sit comfortably with its neighbors. Details of the facade were inspired by the rich surrounding context and the precedent of significant historic Nottingham architects T C Hine and W Fothergill. The project aimed to de-ornament many of their forms to provide a contemporary design that respected and took inspiration from the landmark buildings in the city.

The interior spaces and planning of the theatre focused largely on its functions and the briefs requirements. This drove the form of the building and the architecture was crafted around the activities inside. The planning of spaces was a complex task in which the ‘rubik’s cube’ of functions had to be planned for appropriate adjacencies whilst also creating clear public and private divides to allow for safe operation of the theatre.

The success of the theatre is largely down to the varied performances that aim to maintain traditional plays, dances and art forms that are often considered the lost arts by the UNESCO world intangible heritage. The first theatre arrangement is a flexible thrust hall that allows for both a high and low rake, alternatively seats can be folded into the hydraulic floor allowing for a large open space for a multitude of events. The second theatre arrangement is a theatre in the round that has been designed with dance performances in mind. This separates this space from the alternative venues in Nottingham and is the cities only theatre in the round. The combined capacity for the two auditoriums are in excess of 1550 seats.

Smithfield Theatre

Located in the City of London, this project reuses the Smithfield meat market building. The Grade II listed building holds significant historical interest and is well connected to the adjacent cultural hub of the Barbican Art Centre. The surrounding context is defined by the vibrant nature of the area having been the only 24 hour scene in London due to the peculiar working shifts of the meat market and its employees. This bustling commercial activity is about to move out of town and this proposal aims to keep nighttime activity on the site and maintain some of the particular characteristics of the building.

The project takes a cautious heritage conservation approach, in order to retain as much of the existing structure as possible. The design takes this condition not as a constraint but as an opportunity that aims to respect the old and new together. The proposal introduces two theatres into the existing fabric. A courtyard theatre and a theatre in the round. The theatres are inserted into the strict grid of the existing cast iron structure and the foyer spaces take advantage of the existing axial nature of the building resulting in a clear and understandable arrangement of spaces handed about the central axis of Smithfield Market.

The original Victorian structure is maintained while removing most of the modern additions to the market buildings: the loading bays, external canopy, cold rooms and office spaces and reveals the original Victorian cast-iron structure. As a result, this would form large, clear areas under the oversailing roof that are adapted to accommodate the proposed theatres, event spaces and foyers. The project aims to shift the narrative of the historic Victorian Smithfield market in order to become part of the already thriving cultural Centre for London, sitting together with the Museum of London, the Barbican and local businesses.

TRIADIC ACADEMY

This proposal introduces two new dance theatres and a dance academy into the Queen Elisabeth Olympic Park in Stratford, east London. This park has undergone major regeneration in preparation of the London 2012 Olympics Games. In order to keep the site vibrant and attractive to national and international visitors, Stratford waterfront is undergoing another stage of development as a major arts and cultural quarter. As part of the regeneration masterplan this project aims to enhance this vision of creating a global cultural attraction.

The project explores ways to house the expression of culture through the medium of dance. Dance is not just limited to cultural aspects but can be demonstrated through architecture. This project is inspired by Oskar Schlemmer’s 1922 Bauhaus Triadic Ballet. Schlemmer’s work is choreographed in multiples of threes: three dancers, three acts, twelve choreographies and eighteen costumes. The first act is yellow, symbolising cheerfulness. The second act pink, connoting ceremonies and festivity, the third act black, showing a more mystical and esoteric appeal. The costumes restrict the dancer, and put geometrical limits on the choreography.

These triadic ideas have been explored through the architecture of the proposal. The dance centre has three main elements and uses of materiality- timber, glass, and brick. It also has three uses- a dance academy, theatres, and gathering spaces facing the waterfront. The programme of the dance academy holds the functionality of this project together, creating a home for creativity and celebrating cultural differences. The grand foyer acts as a social and theatrical public space and is characterised by four large geometric anthropomorphic structures in timber which function as structural support and recall Schlemmer’s figural positioning researches.

This project aims to create a new building type, The Teaching Theatre. With the site’s unique inner-city location, and proximity to Nottingham Trent Universities city campus, an opportunity for the connection of a working theatre to the school of design is present. Through the analysis and research of the contextual surroundings, a critical reflection of the past present and future of the site and its context will be made. Because of the duality in usage of this proposal, both teaching and working, there will need to be a critical reflection of both student and audience. For the needs of the two however differing, will in their similarities create connections, places and uses which will connect them to both each other and thus the building.

Due to the decline of theatres in all types throughout the UK, the need has arisen to create a new hybrid typology with duality at its heart. The narrative for the project continues abound the dual usage of the proposal. At the heart of the building is a re-imagined Shakespearean theatre, a theatre in both size and design which aims to reflect upon the great history present within the UK. Surrounding this central theatre, are to be the teaching spaces. A place which focuses on guarding the theatre typology through educating into the future. If then this theatre was to be the last, its knowledge should act a sacred bastion, a place with the ability not only to create shows, but also to inspire through education the future of the performing arts.

THE GARDEN OF CANDLEWRICH

The rapid industrialisation of London in the nineteenth century led to the growth in infrastructure to meet the demands of the ever-growing population, shaping the fabric of the City as we know it today. The lack of conscious urban planning as a result of the mass destruction inflicted by the ravenous Great Fire and cataclysmic World War II, formed a sporadic patchwork of disharmonious buildings.

In a more recent shift, the booming neo-liberal London economy has reframed the City as a built environment informed through datasets dictating development, based upon plausible financial investment and net capital growth. The scarcity of buildable space, as a consequence of pre-existing structures, mass urban density and necessity to achieve maximum economic gain has created a competitive market of investors and developers, capitalising from the forced insertion of privatised function.

The city has been blinded by gluttony to a point where primary civic assets and services have been condensed to the most basic form. Although development is critical to the growth of the economy, a recurring theme of loss of identity, unsympathetic rejuvenation and an absence of environmental agenda is emerging; a sense of clarity is required through a shift in attitudes and legislative design policies.

Using a design-based approach, London’s Cannon Street Station will form the basis of the proposal through the adaptive reuse of a pre-existing structure. The current multi-storey office space, capped by a private rooftop garden will be consciously and sustainably adopted, retaining the maximum useable structural material in an effort to prevent further damage to the existing frame.

The development will act as a cornerstone in an effort to allow for the people to have greater control in shaping public spaces and provide a precedent for the future removal of inner city civic privatisation. A sense of transparency will be maintained through the integration of transportation links and the introduction of a footbridge, populating the building through the re-formation of a historic passage.

Encapsulated theatre spaces will provide a sense of purpose and alongside government funds, will ensure the sympathetic and financial upkeep of the building is maintained. The adaptation of the rooftop botanical winter garden allows for the public to enjoy the green space, rather than watch from afar as is common with many city spaces. From the botanics, panoramic views pay homage to the theatre of the city, repurposing the building into The Garden of Candlewrich, a garden for London.