performing arts

BFF 30th Anniversary - Theatre Royal Winchester


The building started life in 1850 as a market hotel and through a number of transformations became a cine-variety theatre.  It was subsequently used as a cinema until the mid 1970s when it was brought back into use as a theatre after threatened demolition.  Prior to development, the Theatre Royal suffered from extremely cramped front- and back-of-house areas.  The acquisition of two adjacent Listed Georgian terraced buildings offered the opportunity for comprehensive renovation and extension of the existing building.




Burrell Foley Fischer LLP won a design competition to develop a new strategy for the Theatre, providing a new entrance foyer, a bar foyer in a covered courtyard, improved stage and backstage facilities, as well as a comprehensive programme of refurbishment and improvements to the auditorium, seating capacity 420. Careful articulation of the building’s surface textures, materials and spaces has allowed the history of successive generations of use to be revealed while opening up new and delightful spaces.






Awards for the building include The Winchester City Council Award for Good Architecture 2001 and a Civic Trust Award 2003.

Onassis Cultural Centre featured in Auditoria Magazine

The new Onassis Cultural Centre in central Athens, is featured in the 2012 Annual of Auditoria Magazine.  The two auditoria were designed by Burrell Foley Fischer, in a building designed by French architectural firm, Architecture Studio.

The main auditorium is designed to respond to a variety of performance types, including opera, symphony concerts, music theatre, drama and dance.  The smaller second auditorium is designed with a variable acoustic to suit small scale music, dance, drama and lecture presentations.


 View the Auditoria Magazine 2012 Annual

BFF buildings open to the public as part of Open House London

Four Burrell Foley Fischer buildings are open to the public as part of Open House London, which takes place on 17 and 18 September 2011.  Open House London is the capital’s greatest architectural showcase; a city-wide celebration of the buildings, places and neighbourhoods where we live, work and play. It provides the general public with the chance to explore hundreds of inspiring buildings for free, which this year includes The Royal Society in Carlton House Terrace, the Almeida Theatre in Islington, Stratford Picturehouse and the Cine Lumiere at the Institut Francais. Please note that advance booking is required for some events – refer to the Open House London website for full details.

Cine Lumiere at the Institut Francais
Burrell Foley Fischer’s refurbishment of the, Listed Grade II, 228 seat Art Deco Cine Lumiere at the Institut Francais in South Kensington restores the character and quality of the interior whilst ensuring it is up to date in terms of projection and sound technology, comfort and operational flexibility.


Stratford Picturehouse
This new build four screen cinema has exhibition and café bar facilities, and a private restaurant integral to the design. The dominant feature is its projection room, a three-storey-high cylindrical drum, suspended by metal rods from the glass ceiling and running the length of the building. 



The Royal Society

The refurbishment and reorganisation of The Royal Society’s buildings entailed making better use of a unique set of Listed Grade I Nash buildings by providing a coherent, high profile, architectural setting for the society’s activities.

Details on the Royal Society Website


The Almeida Theatre
Burrell Foley Fischer have been the Almeida’s architects since 1982 working with successive generations of directors.  The theatre has been developed into a venue of exceptional quality for the performance of drama, opera and music, and for other related arts activities. 


Cambridge Arts Theatre reveals "Act 2" proposals

The Cambridge Arts Theatre has revealed details of their redevelopment plans to an invited audience at Kings College Chapel.  The new building project, termed "Act 2" is their vision to secure the Theatre's future through the creation of new foyer and performing spaces.  The Burrell Foley Fischer designed scheme includes a new Studio Theatre to facilitate the staging of new and experimental work.

Building on both John Maynard Keynes' founding vision and the legacy of their early nineties refurbishment their stated intention is ensure the sustainability of this wonderful theatrical institution for the long term benefit of the Cambridge community.





Read press coverage of the launch here

Crucible Theatre wins Design Award on eve of 2011 Snooker World Championships

As it prepares to host the 2011 World Snooker Championships, the Crucible Theatre has been recognised in the LABC South Yorkshire and Humber Building Excellence Awards 2011.  The Burrell Foley Fischer designed refurbishment and remodelling was awarded Best Restoration and Conversion.


The refurbishment and remodelling has revived and restored this Grade II Listed building. The front of house areas have been extended providing a new and welcoming frontage onto Tudor Square, new function rooms and allowing the box office to be moved from the bowels of the building closer to the main entrance.  The integrity of the original design has been reinstated and extended and the auditoria and back of house areas have been refurbished. High quality finishes have been achieved by using contemporary materials that respect the original design intent.


The works were carefully phased and had to be completed on time to allow the venue to reopen each year for the televised World Snooker Championships.  This years tournament begins tomorrow.

New images of the Dance Studios at Tring Park School for the Performing Arts

The new Dance Studios, designed by Burrell Foley Fischer LLP have been photographed by Gentle Visions Photography.


Dance as a discipline demands a considerable amount of space and the consequent footprint (918 sq m) of the five new studios to be accommodated within the historic grounds presented a significant challenge, especially on a low budget. Ballet technique, in particular, is based on a lightness of expression, defying the pull of gravity and so vertical space, height and light to enhance the sculptural form of the dancers’ bodies are important ingredients of the physical space.


Because of the new building’s potential bulk, a decision was made to relate it to the wooded setting, taking a soft approach to its architectural form, which would sit comfortably in a green corner of the site. The new studios are broken into two blocks, with the first part comprising two studios aligning with the orthogonal layout of existing buildings and the second block of three studios fronting the exit from the grotto tunnel and aligning with the former tennis court and adjacent Park Street just beyond the school boundary. A low, flat roofed zone forming a social foyer space and informal teaching area links the two taller parts of the building housing the studio spaces.


The internal heights of the dance studios reach 6.0 m at their curved apex and reduce to 4.0 m towards the eaves. Externally, the eaves are kept intentionally low to reduce the profile of the building while the curved apex and wild flower meadow roof soften the building into the landscape. Randomly spaced red cedar posts along the extended elevations echo the vertical tree trunks on the site, while new trees were planted to layer the building into its setting. The diffused quality of natural light, the essential medium through which dancers move, and the well tempered acoustic, provides an uplifting environment for dance.


The Crucible shortlisted for LABC Award

The Crucible Theatre, Sheffield, has been selected as a finalist for the LABC South Yorkshire & Humber Building Excellence Awards 2011 in the Best Restoration and Conversion category.  The Local Authority Building Control Awards recognise excellence achieved through building standards, technical innovation and sustainable designs.  As reported in our previous post the Crucible project has also been shortlisted for an Award from the RICS.

The Crucible Bar in the 1970s


The Crucible Bar today
The Crucible Theatre opened in 1971 and was designed by RHWL & Associates with Consulting Engineers Ove Arup and Partners.  Tanya Moiseiwitsch advised on the design of the world-renowned Guthrie thrust stage in the 980-seat main auditorium.  The theatre has been Listed, Grade II, as one of the most significant theatres of its generation.    

BFF projects shortlisted for RICS Awards 2011

Three Burrell Foley Fischer projects have been shortlisted for the 2011 Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) Awards.  The Kavli Royal Society International Centre at Chicheley Hall, in the Conservation category, The Crucible Theatre Sheffield, in the Community Benefit category, and new Dance Studios for the Tring Park School for the Performing Arts in the Sustainability category.  


The Kavli Royal Society International Centre at Chicheley Hall has been shortlisted in the South Eastern Region for a Conservation Award.



The refurbishment and remodelling of one of the country’s finest early Georgian Country House Estates, in Buckinghamshire, for the Royal Society.  The Centre runs a programme of major scientific meetings and policy forums at national and international level.

The Main Hall (Listed Grade 1) and the wings (Listed Grade II*) have been refurbished and remodelled to provide lecture rooms, meeting and seminar spaces, reception and dining rooms, together with 50 ensuite bedrooms.  The Coach House (Listed Grade II) has been converted to provide lecture theatres, meeting room, conference office and a registration and break out area in a new glazed enclosure.



The Crucible Theatre Sheffield has been shortlisted in the Yorkshire and Humberside Region for a Community Benefit Award.



The refurbishment and remodelling has revived and restored this Grade II Listed theatre. The front of house areas have been extended providing a new and welcoming frontage onto Tudor Square, new function rooms and allowing the box office to be moved from the bowels of the building closer to the main entrance.  The integrity of the original design has been reinstated and extended and the auditoria and back of house areas have been refurbished.

The hosting of the Annual World Snooker Championships at the Crucible has meant that its “community” is far wider than just Sheffield; it holds a special place in the affections of people across the country and internationally.  The development was phased to allow the championships to be held each spring, ensuring that the international showcase for Sheffield continued uninterrupted.



New Dance Studios at Tring Park School for the Performing Arts have been shortlisted in the East of England Region for a Sustainability Award.



The first phase of a three phase project for new, professional standard, performing arts facilities comprises five new dance studios set into a landscape of Registered Parks and Gardens and within the curtilage of two Grade II* Listed Buildings at Tring Park School for the Performing Arts.

The new studios are designed to sit comfortably in a green part of the site, taking a soft approach to its architectural form to mask its bulk and scale. The wild meadow grass roof, lowered eaves and randomly spaced timber posts along its elevations are designed so the building will ultimately recede into its wooded setting.

The building is constructed using an innovative and sustainable, prefabricated, structural timber wall and roof panel system, providing very high standards of thermal and acoustic insulation. The natural timber finishes, low energy use, good internal volumes and naturally illuminated interiors provide an inspiring environment for the teaching and practice of dance.

Planning Permission secured for remodeling of Cambridge Arts Theatre Front of House

A Burrell Foley Fischer scheme for the remodeling of the Front of House areas of the Cambridge Arts Theatre has been approved by the Local Planning Authority.

The Cambridge Arts Theatre, founded by the great economist and statesman, John Maynard Keynes, is currently celebrating its 75th Anniversary Year.  Its artistic programme includes the very best in touring theatre, opera, dance and jazz, complimented by their own productions.


The entrance and Front of House area at the Theatre is currently a small space which restricts the facilities they are able to offer their patrons.  The theatre has acquired the leases of two adjoining former retail spaces and the Burrell Foley Fischer scheme remodels the entire ground and basement floors to incorporate these within the existing front of house areas.  The resulting open and well lit space will provide new box office and cafe-bar facilities for theatregoers and the general public.

Visit the Cambridge Arts Theatre Website

Press coverage of the refurbishment of the Crucible Sheffield

Burrell Foley Fischer's remodelling and refurbishment of the Crucible Theatre Sheffield has been featured this autumn in both FX magazine and the BD reviews supplement, interiors issue.

The refurbishment project was careful to maintain the spirit of the much-loved original auditorium design using the original fabric colour for the new higher-backed designs and replacing the trademark starry sky, most of whose lights had gradually faded, with new LEDs. The front of house areas were remodelled and extended providing better circulation routes and a new and welcoming frontage to Tudor Square.





New Dance Studios at the Tring Park School for the Performing Arts

The Tring Park School for the Performing Arts have moved into their new building housing five Dance Studios, designed by Burrell Foley Fischer LLP.

The School sits in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and occupies a Listed Grade II* former home of the Rothschild family at Tring Park. The grounds are listed Grade II and the Clock House which forms the front to the former stable block is also Listed Grade II*. The School has an aspiration to be one of the leading performing arts schools in the country.


The new Dance Studio building has been designed to nestle within its heavily wooded landscape setting with randomly spaced Red Cedar perimeter posts to echo the surrounding tree trunks. The dense wildflower meadow grass roofs reference the surrounding tree canopies and undulating landscape. The studio rooflights and high level windows create visual connection with the surrounding landscape and abundant day lighting for the dancers.


The Dance Studios are the first building in a three phase BFF masterplan which has Planning Permission, with later phases including a new Art Department and a new 280 seat theatre for Dance and Music theatre.

International Symposium opens Onassis Cultural Centre, Athens

Athens Dialogues, an international conference on Culture and Civilisation is being held, the inaugural event at the Onassis Cultural Centre, Athens.

Burrell Foley Fischer LLP was commissioned to undertake the design of the two auditoria spaces and front of house areas in the Centre, following a limited competition to complete the structural shell (initially designed by the French practice Architecture Studio) that extends 9 storeys underground and 8 storeys above ground. The building houses a library, recording studios, exhibition galleries, underground car parking and a roof top restaurant overlooking the Acropolis.

Working with an international team of consultants, Burrell Foley Fischer LLP completed the design of the auditoria spaces, bar and foyer areas. The main auditorium is designed to respond to a variety of performance types, including opera, symphony concerts, music theatre, drama and dance. The smaller, second auditorium is designed with a variable acoustic to suit small scale music, dance, drama and lecture presentations.


BFF projects open to explore as part of Open House London

Two buildings which were refurbished and remodeled under the guidance of Burrell Foley Fischer LLP are open to the public as part of Open House London, which takes place on 18-19 September 2010.

Open House London is the capital’s greatest architectural showcase; a city-wide celebration of the buildings, places and neighbourhoods where we live, work and play. It provides the general public with the chance to explore hundreds of inspiring buildings for free, which this year includes The Royal Society in Carlton House Terrace and the Almeida Theatre in Islington. Please note that advance booking is required for some events – refer to the Open House London website for full details.

Visit the Open House London Website

The Royal Society – 6-9 Carlton House Terrace

Burrell Foley Fischer LLP have been responsible for major refurbishment of the Listed Grade 1 Nash designed town houses at 6-9 Carlton House Terrace, which form the headquarters of The Royal Society, the UK’s national science academy. The most recent phase of the refurbishment was works to the library to form The Royal Society Centre for the History of Science. Open House London includes access to a special 350th anniversary exhibition ‘The History of the Royal Society, 1660-2010’.



Visit The Royal Society Website

The Almeida Theatre

Built originally as reading rooms and a lecture hall in 1830s, it was renovated and opened as the Almeida Theatre in 1980. Development works designed by Burrell Foley Fischer LLP have included extending the backstage accommodation, the building of completely new foyer, bar and technical areas, new services installations and seating, and improved disabled access and acoustics. Open House London will include access to the front of house, stage area, dressing rooms and wardrobe department.


Mark Foley speaks at Designing School Theatres, the annual conference of The Theatres Trust.

Mark Foley spoke at Design School Theatres, the annual conference of the Theatres Trust held in April 2010 in Leeds. Mark outlined his experience of designing performing arts spaces for schools (including The Menuhin Hall, at the Yehudi Menuhin School and The Performing Arts Centre at Frensham Heights School) and the issues that arose in his drafting of the unpublished Building Bulletin 97 for the DFES “Facilities for Sports and the Performing Arts”.

Also participating was Margaret Rutland, Former Headmistress of The Godolphin and Latymer School, Hammersmith, London who talked about the recently completed Bishop Centre, a multi-purpose performance space in a redundant Butterworth Church, designed by Burrell Foley Fischer LLP.



The recently published Theatres Trust Conference 10 report, Designing School Theatres addresses the differences in school theatre design in maintained and independent schools, and the importance of performing arts teachers’ involvement in the design process and is available to download from their website.


Visit the Theatres Trust website

Visit the Godolphin and Latymer website

Official opening of the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield by HRH The Earl of Wessex





HRH The Earl of Wessex officially opened the newly refurbished Sheffield Crucible Theatre in February 2010.

The Crucible Theatre opened in 1971 and is Listed as one of the most significant theatres of its generation. It comprises a 400 seat Studio theatre as well as the main 980 seat auditorium, with its Guthrie thrust stage. Burrell Foley Fischer LLP developed an extensive modernisation, improvement and extension strategy for the theatre, taking account of the need to minimise the closure period, particularly the critical need to reopen the venue each year for the televised World Snooker Championships.

The front of house areas have been extended providing a new and welcoming frontage onto Tudor Square, new function rooms have been provided and the box office has been moved from the bowels of the building closer to the main entrance. The integrity of the original design has been reinstated and the auditoria and back of house areas have been refurbished.

View Pictures of the Crucible Opening on the BBC website here

Visit the Crucible Theatre Sheffield Website here