Original Purpose: scene shops, paint shops, learning centre

Date of construction: 1976

Style: contemporary extension and restructuring of brutalist architecture

Restructuring: Haworth Tompkins

Date of restructuring: 2013–2015

Current use: scene shops, paint shops, learning centre (The Max Rayne Centre, Clore Learning Centre)

The National Theatre ranks among the world’s most important theatre institutions and is one of a handful of British theatres that are funded from public sources. It was founded in 1963 and, up until 1976, it had its seat in The Old Vic theatre close to the Waterloo railway station. Currently it is located on the embankment of the river Thames in the centre of London (the South Bank), in a brutalist building designed by Sir Denys Lasdun in 1976. The theatre ensemble gives regular guest-performances all around Britain. The institution has undergone a huge transformation as part of the long-term vision known as NT Future that was launched in 2008. The theatre building required restructuring as well as alteration of its relationship with the South Bank embankment which was completely transformed upon the construction of the Tate Modern gallery and the London Eye wheel (Millennium Wheel) and became one of London’s hot spots, visited by around 15 million people each year. According to the development vision the theatre was to open up toward the river, the embankment, but also to visitors, thus becoming the beating heart of the area. As described in the book titled The National Theatre Story, the institution has always been led by enlightened directors and since the beginning of the 21^stcentury it has been witnessing an increased interest on the part of the public in the theater process and how it comes to life. People visiting the theatreare no longer passive viewers but gradually have become active agents participating in theatre production. The theatre started to offer backstage tours, workshops for families with children as well as adults, student programs for schools, discussions on theatre performances, study rooms for young authors etc. The NT Future project has been aiming to completely review and revitalize the theatre’s concept so as to attract new generation of authors and visitors alike. “The fundamental idea of education within the NT would be re-imagined as programme of public engagement to reach all ages... to provide a large scale, public learning programme, such as those offered by museums, with regular events for families and young people, life-long learning activities and in-depth courses.” (ROSENTHAL, Daniel. The National Theatre story. London: Oberon Books, 2013, p. 828) 

Revitalization of the main building was meant to integrate it with the embankment and provide visitors with a new and friendly entrance so as to open the building up to passers-by – by way of launching a café and a restaurant on its premises and inviting the public to scene shop tours and encouraging them to take part in learning programs. The overall idea was to turn the theatre into an extension to the vibrant city centre. With regard to the South Bank vision, the NT was intended to become “a better place in which to live, to work, to study, and to visit” (ROSENTHAL, Daniel. The National Theatre story. London: Oberon Books, 2013, p. 829), “open up the creative process and inspire audiences with the idea, excitement and joy of this contemporary and collaborative art form.” (ROSENTHAL, Daniel. The National Theatre story. London: Oberon Books, 2013, p. 829)

The project consisted of several phases, one of which was the restructuring in 2007 of the brutalist workshop building (constructed in 1958 to the design of architect Lyons Israel Ellis) according to a restructuring design drawn up by the London-based architectural studio Haworth Tompkins.

The main NT building on the embankment, too, has undergone major transformation, conceived by the same authors. “This inspiring firm (have) made theatres more welcoming, more continuous with life outside,” wrote theatre critic Susannah Vlapp for the Observer magazine. (ROSENTHAL, Daniel. The National Theatre story. London: Oberon Books, 2013, p. 827).

The project went on for a number of years in close cooperation with the theatre management, preservationists, neighbours, historians, academicians and sympathizers alike. The theatre transformation and restructuring was so designed as to harmonically interconnect new extensions with the original architecture and to integrate the theatre with the life outside on the embankment. Originally turning its back to the river, the theatre opened anew entrance enabling direct access from the embankment and made it even more visitor-friendly by opening theatre cafés, restaurants and bars. The theatre restructuring started out with the construction of The Shed, a distinct, light construction designed by the same authors. It served as a temporary theatre building built of steel and plywood, painted in strikingly red colour, and shaped as a windowless shed with four conspicuous chimneys designed to take care of natural ventilation. Throughout the restructuring, it served as a provisional theatrewith an auditorium for 225 spectators, and survived in its place in front of the main building after the latter was opened – and there it stands to this day. Restructuring of the main building included reconstruction of the foyer plus remodelling and modernization of the smaller hall.

Note. Formerly the Cottesloe Theatre, nowadays the Dorfman Theatre – the Dorfman family offered to pay 10 million pounds for the theatre restructuring which had the bad luck of coinciding with the financial crisis outbreak.

The theatre’s production workshops were constructed as a brand-new building (the Max Rayne Centre) at the southern side of the theatre (today the rear side) – most likely the largest production workshop left intact in central London – and so was the two-storey Clore Learning Centre. Completion of the extensions made it possible to vacate the backstage space of the theatre that currently employs twice as many people as it did in 1976. The new extensions are home to impressive paint shops and other workshops (carpenter shops, locksmith shops, fabrication of properties and weapons), theatre production office and studios for scene designers and other departments that were previously scattered around the building (departments of sound, lighting equipment, digital animation etc.). The façade consists of aluminium slats and crumpled steel mesh. The use of contemporary materials is intended to separate the extensions from the original rectangular brutalist concrete building. The production shops are there for everybody to see: the large window in the southern façade offers a view from the outside into the scene shops plus they are physically accessible thanks to a high-level walkway inside (the Sherling High-Level Walkway) and a gallery. The walkway directly interconnects learning spaces with production workshops. Up on the walkway, information is displayed concerning fabrication of sceneries and the theatre’stechnical infrastructure. Furthermore, the shops are open to public seminars and workshops (Clore Learning Centre). Each year they are visited by up to 50,000 visitors interested in staging production. The newly created spaces make it possible for emerging ensembles and independent artists to cooperate and create their visions and pioneering works right on the theatre premises. Spectators can watch how the sceneries are fabricated.

In next phases, the restructuring should include transformation of terraces into publicly accessible gardens. In general, it is all about opening the theatre to a wide spectre of creative artists and the public, and encouraging them to participate in the theatre operation. The NT future project is planned out for another 50 years. According to the vision, The National Theatre is not a mere institution closed in itself but offers spaces to independent artists and outside visitors, prompting them to engage in creative activity and to undertake learning. “The new space is all about people working together across different disciplines, attracting world class innovative artists, and nurturing emerging talent to bring our audiences the theatre of tomorrow.” (ROSENTHAL, Daniel. The National Theatre story. London: Oberon Books, 2013, p. 827)

Restructuring of The National Theatre has succeeded in making the 1976 building much friendlierto current generations whilst the new extensions make it possible for the public to take part in the theater’s programs as well as in production of individual stage performances. It demonstrates openness and invites visitors to absorb the atmosphere e.g. from the walkway above the scene shops that is open all day long. “You’ll be able to see our productions being created even before they reach the stage.” (ROSENTHAL, Daniel. The National Theatre story. London: Oberon Books, 2013, p. 827.) Thus, the theatre is no longer a mysterious illusion box whereby the spectator is prevented from seeing how things are done but rather becomes an open institution entering into dialogue with visitors.

Author: Marcela Steinbachová

Translator: Jiří Pilucha