Hampstead Theatre

The new Hampstead Theatre was built at a cost of £8.7m to replace a 125-seat 'temporary' theatre in Avenue Road. The exterior is glass and slatted timber with the zinc-clad elliptical auditorium rising through the roof. The foyers, stairs and walkways are glass, dominated by zinc-clad surfaces and by the cantilevered supports for the auditorium. This seats 325 in three configurations: proscenium, thrust and in-the-round, and is covered by a tension wire grid. The theme of timber slats continues along the balcony front and walls, and the soft furnishings are red. The stage elevator has traps and is designed so as to produce a raked stage when required. Other facilities include a rehearsal room, workshop, studio space and offices. The theatre is said to replicate the intimacy and character of the Avenue Road building.