Keith Williams Architects create designs to rejuvenate heritage venue

Plans by Keith Williams Architects for the renovation and expansion of the Concordia Theatre in Hinckley, Leicestershire, have been unanimously approved by Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council. The theatre is set within a cluster of three 19th century red brick former garment factory buildings originally built by hosiery company Murcutt, Goode & Eady. The Concordia first occupied these buildings in 1972 as a volunteer run community theatre and is now home to 9 performing arts groups. 

The Concordia’s three building estate houses a 390+ seat auditorium, stage house and flytower, a scenic workshop, rehearsal spaces, backstage, costume and props stores, green room, bars and foyers. The central building which contains the auditorium at first floor level, has been much altered and extended over time, whilst the two flanking former brick warehouses containing the theatre scenic workshop, main bar and theatre studio, retain more of their original character.

The design strategy includes the transformation of the auditorium focusing on improving access, comfort, seating and sightlines, while opening up the space to reveal the huge existing timber industrial scale roof trusses which will become central to the character of the remodelled performance space. The flytower, backstage and substage will be modified to improve theatricality, while the addition of a new façade, forecourt and public realm to provide a rejuvenated landmark within Hinckley town centre. The careful approach to scale, form, proportion, materiality, industrial heritage and context, is intended to achieve greater architectural cohesion across the Concordia’s estate.

Keith Williams commented: “This is a really intriguing project which continues our long lineage of commissions for the performing arts. At the Concordia, we have sought to achieve an integration of historic industrial fabric and contemporary performance infrastructure. Our designs set out clear strategies for deep retrofit and renovation as a part of our transformation of this raw, robust cluster of former industrial buildings, updating and modernising the home of the Concordia Theatre."

Lucy Nordberg
Tenderstream Head of Research

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