A theatre for one and all: Bristol Old Vic by Haworth Tompkins

Haworth Tompkins has completed a new foyer and studio theatre for the listed Bristol Old Vic, one of oldest performance places in the English-speaking world. Mezzanine galleries, winding wooden staircases and viewing platforms determine the foyer along with structural timber and glass.

The centrepiece of the project is undoubtedly the old façade of the Georgian auditorium, visible from the street again for the first time. A large lightwell illuminates the historic masonry, with individual window elements and stairways punctuating what was once the building's exterior wall. The newly-designed street facade, on the other hand, has been conceived as a public art work, featuring moveable window shutters that show the words spoken by David Garrick in his address at the opening of the Bristol Old Vic in 1766, as well a poem by the city poet  Miles Chambers. Both texts underscore the importance of the theatre's long history.

The new studio theatre, now contained in the former barrel store next to the main foyer, features historic wall surfaces of the 252-year-old gem, as Tom Morris, Bristol Old Vic Artistic Director, puts it.

Further information: 

Architects: Haworth Tompkins, Beatie Blakemore, Tom Gibson, Toby Johnson, Will Mesher, Michael Putman, Steve Tompkins, Roger Watts

Main Contractor: Gilbert-Ash

Theatre Consultant: Charcoalblue

Structural Engineer: Momentum

Service Engineer: Max Fordham

Acoustic Engineer: Charcoalblue

Quantity Surveyor: Gardiner and Theobold

Contract Administrator: GVA Acuity

Client representative/PM: Plann