continued

The theater's well-used facilities were previously housed in a temporary, ad-hoc structure, with no real lobby or unifying architectural language.

Haworth Tompkins won the competition in 2004 to renovate and expand the theater, including technical upgrading of the main auditorium and the creation of a new lobby, restaurant space, and two new studios for performances and workshops, the Maria (capacity 160) and the Clare (capacity 80).

The architects recognized the best qualities of the existing 1970s building, designed by Bill Howell. While modernizing the facility, they wanted to celebrate the "demotic, light-footed and classless" identity of the Young Vic, as the architects describe it. The building was planned so that "the sense of a working, creative environment pervades the whole interior."

Art in The Cut

It is clear everywhere in the building that this is a different sort of theater than most: it is known for its youth programs, its research and training for the local community, and it even has a MySpace page and a Facebook profile. It's called the Young Vic for a reason; it's trendy and animated. It doesn't feel like a regular theater.

Facing onto The Cut are 180 handcrafted, original panels, painted deep cadmium yellow on black cement board, created by artist Clem Crosby as integrated artwork. Designed in collaboration with the architects, the panels are covered in an uplit silver mesh to create a "beacon for theater-goers."

"We wanted to express the importance of the auditorium as a separate object in the street, stay true to the robust roots of the Young Vic building and allude to the live, one-off events happening inside," says architect Steve Tompkins.

"We were nervous about a slick, off-the-peg cladding system and so we started to imagine a facade that would be absolutely unique to this theater and to The Cut."

Shop Entrance

The architects reworked the existing Victorian butcher's shop that had served as the tiny public lobby to improve the experience of visitors entering the building. Previously visitors had lined up in the street before performances. Now the lobby has been enlarged and opened up into a double-height space that welcomes audience members.

Many of the original blue and white tiles remain in this space, the wall beneath exposed in places. Some tiles were left cracked and broken, as though half-demolished. There are other quirky reminders of the past life of the building, in the decor of this room and in the faintly visible and partially covered butcher shop sign outside.

A modern gesture is the wall of glass doors that stretch along the street level, open on sunny days to reveal the split-level lobby cafe, bar, and restaurant, overlooked by the upstairs restaurant terrace.

The most impressive refurbishment works are difficult to discern to new visitors — namely new routes connecting the existing spaces, allowing much-needed backstage and front-of-house access, a new acoustic and circulation skin around the existing auditorium, and enhanced workshop facilities that allow ambitious sets to be designed that would previously have been too large to move in and out.

Flexible Performance

While it is common for new theater facilities to be designed with flexibility in mind, the Young Vic exceeds expectations. In the main auditorium, it seems everything is plywood, temporary, and changeable. The atmosphere is experimental, youthful, and ambitious.

All the timber seating is demountable and optional, allowing the set designers the greatest level of flexibility. The stage can be configured in a number of ways in relation to the seating. The balcony mezzanine can wrap around the upper level, like scaffolding, and it can be demounted or assembled to allow visitors to enter and exit at this level.

A matrix of services and lights allows the top of the room to be behind the scenes, servicing the entire space while being concealed from view. Previously designers had to work with a space that had a much lower height, a clear front and back, and less flexible main areas. Now the room can change completely in a matter of days.   >>>

Discuss this article in the Architecture Forum...

SUBSCRIPTION SAMPLE Flexible seating in the Young Vic's main theater space can accommodate audience sizes in the few hundreds, depending on the configuration. Photo: Philip Vile Extra Large Image The remodeled entrance to the Young Vic includes a two-story lobby space with a glazed wall that can be opened onto the street when weather permits. Photo: Philip Vile Extra Large Image Ground-floor plan drawing of the Young Vic Theatre. Image: Haworth Tompkins Extra Large Image Section drawing of the Young Vic, looking east. Image: Haworth Tompkins Extra Large Image The Young Vic's original theater space (pictured) was designed by Bill Howell in the early 1970s and intended to be temporary. Photo: Courtesy Young Vic Improved circulation for both audience and staff was a goal for the Young Vic remodel. Photo: Philip Vile Extra Large Image The remodel included significant upgrades to the lighting and services at the top of the 1970s main theater space. Photo: Philip Vile Extra Large Image The Young Vic's two-story lobby includes an upper-level patio overlooking the street. Photo: Philip Vile Extra Large Image   Click on thumbnail images to view full-size pictures.