Maltings Concert Hall

Indelibly associated with the names of Britten and Peers, this is a concert hall rather than a theatre but is included because it regularly houses dance and opera performances as well as orchestral and jazz concerts.

The original conversion of the Maltings was ravaged by fire and the rebuild retained the original brick walls. The auditorium is a large, rectangular, open space with reputedly, the best acoustic in Europe. The auditorium has an open timber roof of Douglas fir, trussed with wooden struts and steel ties. A feature of front of house is an area known as 'Late Entrants' Box' into which latecomers can be placed until an appropriate break in the performance to allow then to take their seats. The auditorium has a single tier of seating with an open stage and thrust, which can become an orchestra pit (to accommodate 50), with an additional area of auditorium which is also separately hydraulically raised to become an additional forestage. The stage has limited flying facilities. Below stage there are geared winches which are used to lower and raise lighting bars.

The Maltings has a first floor restaurant with magnificent views over the river with bar area below this. Local terra cotta paviours are used throughout and the seating (whose arrangement is said to derive from Bayreuth) is of ash and cane.

Entrance to the building is through a double foyer. The outermost giving access to a box office and waiting area; the innermost with steps to higher levels, includes a pick-up area for pre-booked tickets.

This is a remarkable and unusual building of great quality and flexibility.