Britain’s first purpose-built children’s theatre opens in London.
The £13m Unicorn Theatre – the first in Britian to be designed specifically for young audiences – was officially opened today by Lord Attenborough. Local school children were joined by stars of stage and screen including Dervla Kirwan, Patricia Routledge and Geoffery Palmer and author Philip Pullman as they ventured inside the new building on Tooley St in south London.
The theatre has two auditoria, an educational space called the Foyle Studio, a rehearsal studio named after Dame Judy Dench and a café in the foyer that will be open to the public. The main auditorium, the Weston Theatre, is on the first floor above the foyer, and is wrapped in copper cladding.
Part of the More London development, which is masterminded by Foster & Partners, the Unicorn Theatre was designed by Keith Williams Architects; Mansell Construction Services was lead contractor; Theatre Project Consultants and Charoalblue were theatre consultants; Bucknall Austin was quantity surveyor; Aru Associates was structural service and mechanical engineer; Arup Acoustics was acoustician and Buro Happold was access consultant.
