Malvern Theatres reaches new heights with topping out milestone

The transformation of Malvern Theatres, designed by Burrell Foley Fischer, has reached a major milestone, with a topping out ceremony marking the new building's structure reaching its highest point.

Hosted on site by main contractor Speller Metcalfe, the ceremony brought together project partners to celebrate the installation of the final structural beam. Topping out is a centuries-old construction tradition, often traced to Scandinavia, where an evergreen branch would be placed at the highest point of a building to bring good luck.

“Progress on the transformation of Malvern Theatres has passed a crucial stage and the major preparatory work, essential in all big projects, has been achieved. The structure is now ready to build out the exterior and interior claddings, so creating one of the largest multi-venue arts complexes in Europe.

The project is on track to complete by November 2027 enriching and widening the participation in the arts. We look forward to the completion of this unique and elegant building set in the beautiful gardens of Priory Park, contributing to and enhancing the cultural lives of our communities”.‍ ‍

Cllr John Gallagher, leader and portfolio holder for resources at Malvern Hills District Council

The transformation will deliver a new 240-seat studio theatre, workshop spaces, a community amphitheatre, significant improvements to the existing Forum Theatre and an upgraded park-side entrance. Set within the gardens of Priory Park, the project will enhance the theatre's facilities, expand opportunities for performance and community participation, and strengthen its relationship with the surrounding park.

Architect’s impression of the remodelled Malvern Theatres

The topping out marks an important step towards realising BFF's design for Malvern Theatres, bringing together new performance and creative spaces with improvements to the existing venue to support its continued development as a leading cultural destination.