The Royal Opera House production workshops in Covent Garden were originally located in a hall in Beckton, East London, but were moved out due to the 2012 Olympics. The new workshop buildings are part of a former industrial hall in Purfleet, Thurrock. The complex has been conceived as a production park for advancement of creative and cultural competences. It consists of several buildings that are home to theatrical production workshops, costume depots, backstage centre, national centre for creative and cultural competences, 38 artistic studios and four rooms for resident artists. The newly built theatre workshops hall occupies the main building. The construction with its rounded “green” roof of considerable height seeks to integrate in the environment and landscape.

High House Production Park consists of grand spaces of paint shops for vertical and horizontal set pieces, carpenter shops, locksmith shops, drawing rooms, assembly halls the size of which corresponds with that of the theatre stage– including the distance from auditorium so that the assembled scenery can be seen as it will on stage. The space is a hall with a ground plan of 75 m x 45 m with rounded roofing. It is illuminated by upper skylights ensuring that the light is dispersed. The roof construction is a hybrid one, combining carpenter construction with light-steel angles. Roof trusses are 1.7 m high and bear a spanning of 75 m. Each truss has been transported to the site in five separate pieces and then assembled by cranes. Thanks to good insulation and green roof, the construction is a low-energy building that partially draws energy from renewable resources. The workshops building has been nominated for several awards and won the RIBA East East Spirit of Ingenuity Award.

The complex is aimed to support learning and creativity of visitors as well as the entire cultural life of the Thurrock local community. The space is used also by schools for education purposes. It offers guided tours to the public and renders creative workshops to schools and companies focused on selected theatrical production shops. 

Author: Marcela Steinbachová

Translator: Jiří Pilucha