In total 86 projects were chosen to receive an award or commendation from 263 national and international entries. The Marlowe Theatre Canterbury was one of just 32 projects to win a coveted Award, while Newcastle Theatre was one of just 46 to receive a Commendation.
The Award winning Marlowe reopened in October 2011 following a major renovation, which saw Charcoalblue work hand-in-hand with the client and Keith Williams Architects to help clarify and develop their vision. This included developing and refining the auditoria, foyers and back-of-house areas, and the design of completely new technical facilities including scenic flying, stage lighting and audiovisual systems.
"The result was a building, which today can as easily accommodate opera, ballet, dance and musicals as it can pantomime, popular concerts and drama," explains managing partner Andy Hayles.
Meanwhile, commendation winning Newcastle Theatre Royal reopened just one month earlier, following a painstaking and extensive £5m restoration project. Head of theatre design for Charcoalblue, Gavin Green discusses, "The restoration for this Grade I listed theatre included complete redecoration, new seating, new and refurbished pit lifts, new lighting positions and extensive rewiring. Charcoalblue was responsible for designing all the technical systems and ensuring their integration within the historic fabric of the building, plus advising on sightlines and seating layouts."
"We're over the moon that these two projects have been recognised by The Civic Trust," says Hayles. "Both are very close to our hearts and each drew on different elements of the expertise of our team. Besides actually seeing these buildings successfully in use, seeing them recognised for their standard of architecture and design, sustainability, inclusive design and social, cultural, environmental and economic impact plus their benefit to the local community is absolutely the next best thing."
(Jim Evans)
