The striking auditorium design for the Phoenix Arts was part of a limited competition to create an entirely new multimedia, live performance venue to replace the existing Phoenix Arts venue in Leicester. 

The oval form of the auditorium, an update on the concept of a courtyard theatre, was intended to accommodate a number of alternative stage formats including an area (in-the-round), thrust stage, end stage and a separate stage house with full flying facilities.

A tensile grid over the main body of the auditorium would provide an entirely flexible platform for theatrical lighting and projection. Within the drum-shaped auditorium enclosure, virtual reality projections could be displayed on all walls and the ceiling to allow interactivity with live performances on stage.