The £89m centre brings together several distinct performance spaces under one roof to provide world-class performing arts facilities and an ideal environment for students to learn and practice their craft. The Concert Hall will also be used by the Barbican and its artistic partners, including performances from the Barbican's two new Associate Ensembles, the Academy of Ancient Music and Britten Sinfonia.
Milton Court is located at the heart of the City of London, occupying the first six floors of The Heron, a new 40-storey residential tower originally conceived by David Walker Architects. Theatre Projects collaborated with RHWL Arts Team on the design of these performing arts spaces, ensuring that the needs of the School and its students was always first priority and their new theatres were designed with the learning process in mind as well as being suitable as a first class performance venue.
The centrepiece of Milton Court is an aesthetically beautiful Concert Hall with seating on two levels and adjustable acoustics to accommodate a variety of performance types - from solo recitals to chamber music ensembles and full-sized symphony orchestra concerts. "It was conceived as a training experience for music students," explains John Riddell, project manager for Theatre Projects, "and because of the different demands placed upon it by the Guildhall School's broad music curriculum, it's designed to be turned around quickly between different formats - on any given day, it might be used for rehearsal in the morning, a lunchtime recital and an evening jazz concert."
To meet the demand for flexibility in the Concert Hall, Theatre Projects designed a system of elevators and seating wagons to allow for a platform depth from 6.5m to over 12m, providing flexibility for performances and a comfortable platform for a large orchestra.
At 608 seats, the new Concert Hall is the largest of any of the London conservatoires, filling a gap in the City's professional performance venues. In addition to the Guildhall School's 100-plus annual public performances at Milton Court, the Concert Hall will also host a year-round programme of classical and contemporary music presented by the Barbican and its artistic partners. This includes performances from the Barbican's two new Associate Ensembles - the Academy of Ancient Music and Britten Sinfonia - alongside one-off special events, and programmes from the Barbican and Guildhall School's joint Creative Learning division. It's also home to the School's own symphony orchestra, the Guildhall Symphony Orchestra, who will present the first public concert in the venue on 4 October.
The school's existing 308-seat Silk Street Theatre is in constant use, so a new 223-seat theatre was designed as part of Milton Court and is robust enough to cope with a similar level of high demand throughout the year. Conceived as an ideal teaching and training environment as well as a fully working theatre to accommodate professional standard productions, Theatre Projects designed this proscenium theatre with fully automated power flying as well as elevators that easily adjust to create an orchestra pit or adaptable forestage area. According to Riddell, "The technical theatre facilities in this space are exceptional. Students graduating in the coming years will be equipped with the knowledge needed to work in the most complex theatre environments in the world today."
Flexibility is key for the Studio theatre at Milton Court. This space is designed to complement the School's other theatres and provide students with an experience of performing in an intimate, adaptable space. Seating can be arranged in var
