Sir Robert McAlpine’s Shaftesbury Theatre project team has reached practical completion on a technically challenging basement for the Grade II listed building in the West End of London.
A public realm improvement project enabled the creation of a dynamic subterranean basement for the theatre, the first of its kind in The London Borough of Camden.
The space wraps around the newly pedestrianised portion of Shaftesbury Avenue, to High Holborn and is as wide as the centre point of the carriageway.
Sir Robert McAlpine has been working inside the theatre since 2018, delivering structural alterations as well as new mechanical, electrical and plumbing solutions to make the theatre as comfortable as possible for its staff, performers and visitors.
Phase 1 of the project included:
- New state-of-the-art air-conditioning, changing air every eight minutes, which required new complex steel roof structure and re-roofing
- New stalls, seating layout and rear corridor
- New staircase adjacent to the foyer
- Overhauled and strengthened ceiling and installation of suspended walkways within the ceiling void
In Phase 2, our project team led a programme of early structural alterations to allow connection to the new basement areas.
On completion of the enabling works, a reinforced concrete, ground bearing basement was formed that provides the client with nearly 200m² of additional space for a new bar and toilet facilities.
The introduction of a new staircase and lowering of floor slabs has made the building more accessible and ultimately improved the experience for those visiting the theatre.
The theatre remained open throughout, with public access provided via a series of bridges over the top of our works.
“We are delighted to have reached practical completion at the Grade II listed Shaftesbury Theatre,” said Denny Swain, Project Manager for Sir Robert McAlpine. “I’d like to extend my gratitude to our project teams involved, working on the refurbishment over the years to improve visual connectivity and enhance street-level presence while maintaining the historical fabric of the building.”
James Williams, Chief Executive, The Shaftesbury Theatre added: “The collaborative working relationship between the Sir Robert McAlpine project team and the Theatre has been exceptional. In such a complex and challenging task, it was always reassuring to know that solutions would be found that reflected the needs of the Theatre.”
