Manchester Opera House
Originally named the New Theatre which was opened Boxing Day 1912, however the theatre struggled, between 1916 and 1920 Sir Thomas Beecham performed and in his honour they named the theatre The Opera House.
The building has had many changes it survived the Second World War, and has functioned as a cinema as well as a bingo hall.
In 1984 it became a theatre and in 2003 it underwent a refurbishment which still kept it’s original colour scheme of green and gold.
The interiors of the building are very classical with the olive green and gold. With the name of the building i think that the interiors are very inkeeping. I believe it is important to be respectful to the history of the building and not only create interiors that attracts people to the building but they must also enhance it's features.
http://www.arthurlloyd.co.uk/ManchesterTheatres/PalaceTheatreManchester.htm
The Palace Theatre was built in 1891 as the Manchester Palace of Varieties. It was redecorated and altered in 1896, in 1913 the auditorium was reconstructed and in 1953 the theatre was altered again and the exterior was refaced.
In 1979 the theatre was in danger of closure with the Opera House but the theatre was saved and it became Manchester’s touring house which led to extensive refurbishment. It became Manchester Palace Theatre when Raymond Slater bought the building, land was bought to the rear of the theatre in order to enlarge the stage.
The auditorium is built on three levels, Stalls, and two Balcony’s with a capacity of 2000, and the Theatre is Grade II listed.
The interiors of the building are very traditional like most of the theatres, with the use of red and gold, creating a very luxurious feel to the theatre. With the history of this building it is vital that the design is both inviting as well as functional so that it benefits both the customers as well as the staff.
http://www.royalexchange.co.uk/page.aspx?page=735
The Royal Exchange Theatre was found in 1976 within the old Cotton Exchange in Manchester, however in 1996 the IRA bombing in Manchester led to extensive damage of the theatre.
Repairs cost over £30 million which took over two years to complete. During the repair for the theatre the rebuild allowed for a second performance space known as the studio. They also created the bookshop, craft shop, restaurant, bars and corporate rooms. This meant that the theatres workshops, rehearsal rooms and costumes were moved to Swan Street.
The theatre was eventually re-opened in November 1998.
The Royal Exchange Theatre has been described “as the most exciting architectural achievements in the country” with the theatre situated in the former cotton exchange.
The theatre is a seven-sided steel and glass module which sits within the Great Hall of the Royal Exchange Theatre. It is theatre in the round where the stage is surrounded on all sides as well as above by seating.
It can seat up to 700 people on three levels making it the largest in the round theatre in Britain. Ground level can seat 400 in a ranked configuration, above are two galleries each seating 150 in two rows.
The Studio is a warm and flexible performance space with a capacity of 120 people, with its own foyer and bar. The Studio space can be enlarged due to the sliding walls which allows for the foyer to be at one end and the technical facility at the other. The space is suitable for touring theatre companies as well as performances suited for young people.
The Exchange Suite is sophisticated and intimate for working lunches, business meetings etc. with a private double-height reception and bar with a staircase leading to the original Manchester Exchange boardroom.
The Front Room overlooks St Ann’s Square and the Great Hall of the Royal Exchange providing stunning views of the theatre, it is self-contained with its own toilets and bar.
I believe that the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester will be very helpful to me when doing research as this theatre links old and new from the design of the theatre and it's additional spaces to the history that is contained deeply withiin the building.
All though the new design is modern i think they have linked the space very well, i do feel that they have not taken away from the building.
No comments:
Post a Comment