< Previous10 Sightline Winter 2021 Essex. All contracts had sustainability clauses and targets at their hearts and embedded sustainable design from the very beginning of the brief. The second case study brought a genuine smile to the entire audience, as Pete from the Romiley Little Theatre gave us a colourfully described photo story of the construction of this 40-seat theatre through their members’ DIY conversion from a former Builder’s warehouse and yard. Every element of the construction was predicated on absolutely minimising running costs, which directly led to sustainability being essential with insulation and an air-source heat pump key to the project. Pete’s wheeler-dealing cheered us all – members hand cleaning bricks removed from one part of the building to be used in another as well as trading use of the car-park with the neighbours’ construction project to get the car park resurfaced in return – reminding us that it’s the small things with which we can measure success, not just the budget. Third, we met the team from Oxford Playhouse who have trialled the Home Survey Kit and told us of their successes in doing so – they found the kit accessible to use and that whilst it might be a daunting prospect that it’s not OK to be in denial. They had found easy wins in altering timers for heating and entering conversations with their landlords regarding sustainability projects. They now reports on sustainability at every board meeting and have a sustainability champion on their board of trustees. We finally heard from Hull Truck – a flagship sustainable theatre building completed in 2009, and heard about their subsequent change, including solar panel installation and modifications to the BMS have all been made since opening. Along with a cautionary tale on the combined maintenance effect of new items having similar lifetimes all installed (and therefore needing replacement) at the same time. Theatre Green Book – Sustainable Operations Feimatta Conteh (MIF) chaired this panel discussion centred on the third volume of the theatre green book which is scheduled for publication in the spring. At this very busy and in fact over-subscribed breakout session, Feimatta gave us a sneak preview of the ‘at a glance principles’ of the new volume, which splits operations into Front of House, Marketing – both digital and live audiences – Retail, Food & Beverage, Back of House, Waste, Travel, Building Management and Third Parties. Feimatta then introduced the panel and opened the conversation to successes and challenges in the operational field. Many easy wins were demonstrated from sustainable wood procurement at Cardiff Theatrical Services, to local food supplier procurement for menus across HQ venues and eliminating single use plastics at the Lyric Belfast. Questions from the audience then opened the conversation up further with observations that not all organisations can support a full-time sustainability role and how are these skills and The Green Operations PanelSightline Winter 2021 11 agendas best shared amongst teams? Were there enough CEO’s attending the conference today to influence major change? Who is accountable for operational sustainability? Can the theatre green book become the standard for accountability? It was noted that websites and digital content are not carbon free and that the sustainability of websites and the power consumption of the devices accessing them varies wildly. We then entered into a discussion of scope 3 emissions like audience travel to theatres and our ongoing responsibility in this area. We heard of an evolving process at Chichester Festival Theatre where audiences are offered the opportunity to offset their travel carbon emissions as part of the booking process. The final thoughts turned to outsourcing and being in control of our supply chains and decision making in order to be the best we can be as we look towards collective purchasing and the power of collective action. As an industry we can influence beyond our sector through things like active purchasing decisions, but also shouting to audiences about the provenance and welfare of our veg-led menus can make as much impact as the marketing of our shows. Historic and Green. Historic theatres are bound to provide a challenge in the context of the Green Book, and this session was very well focused, concentrating on the opportunities and challenges for making historic theatres sustainable in the context of balancing conservation and sustainability. The panel included architects, consultants and operators and was abley chaired by Katie Town, (Executive Director; Wakefield Theatre Royal). Beyond the issue of conservation and the moral imperative of the climate emergency, historic theatres face a challenge in meeting the levels of flexibility and comfort that modern artists and audiences expect. Inevitably such considerations need to be contextualised alongside the balance between custodianship and there was a need to think about the bigger picture in terms of the reality of maintaining and operating buildings of national heritage significance. There was a general agreement that despite such buildings having listed status, it is still possible to find ways to make them operational and successful based on a sound business plan and a viable model teased out by designers and clients to get the use of such buildings ‘right’. There was a strong argument such theatres had been designed to work successfully in the past so that, the key to making them work successfully again is to understand the building itself before laying a finger on it. Once you genuinely understand a building, and can unpick its strengths and weaknesses, then you can develop a master plan for the vision of what you want to create. The key remained sympathetic consideration of all the layered aspects of historic theatres, to understand and respect their survival and operation over time, and to seek for innovative solutions where appropriate. All photos by Sharron Wallace, courtesy of the Theatres Trust The Green Productions Panel12 Sightline Winter 2021 Painting the New Safety Curtain for the Theatre Royal Drury Lane Part of the major restoration of Theatre Royal Drury Lane was the replacement of the front cloth for the fire safety curtain. It was to be a reinterpretation of the original painted by Joseph Harker in 1922, probably on the paint frame at Drury Lane, which was created in 1881. The designer for the painting is unknown, but Joseph Harker may have contributed. There has been a long history of use of Scenic Art in the Theatre Royal since Garrick staged the pantomime “Harlequins Invasion” in 1813 and it became a long term venue for Pantomimes. But scenery and actors weren’t very visible, although at one time the theatre used 300 candles per night. In the early 1800s gas was introduced and visibility improved. From then there were often 12 backcloths for a single pantomime, and for one, a total of 21 were needed. A tradition grew for spectacular scenery with a transformation scene finale with traps and special effects. In 1837 limelight was introduced to the theatre, with its high power and brightness. Compared to gas, it was an immediate success. Backcloths and scenery could be well lit and seen well by the audience, and soon there were 12 scenic artists employed at the theatre. When it came to restoring this piece of theatrical history in Theatre Royal Drury Lane, the scenic artists, Chris Clark and his wife Liz, were commissioned to do the work. Together they have over 60 years experience, including Chris’s apprenticeship at Harkers Studios in 1971. It became clear from the start that a lot of preparation and planning would be required and there were some technicalities to overcome. Consultations between Lloyd Webber Theatres (LWT Theatres) – the owners of the building and client on this project – technicians and the engineers, Unusual Rigging, took place to establish a way forward. Samples were produced, painted in the proposed technique, so that Unusual Rigging and LW Theatres could be satisfied from the technical and artistic points of view. The paint system selected by Chris Clark was the Rosco Supersaturated range, developed many years ago. This was well tried and tested for a high anti fade quality. In recent years there have been further advances from research on colour stability, ecological aspects and compliance with new European regulations. Michael Hall There were no designs to work from so the original cloth was photographed in high resolution. As Chris Clark analysed the photograph, it became clear there were two quite separate images to be painted: the landscape and the decorative golden framework. THE LANDSCAPE The old cloth had become tired and worn after nearly 100 years. The landscape was lacking interest and in many ways was too subordinate to the gilt fretwork. Chris proposed a fresh new landscape, based on the original layout but given more life by a sense of enhanced light and shade that suggested an Italianate garden lay beyond the golden gates. A visit to the Theatre Royal, with a swatch of real paint samples, confirmed the intended colours would match the new auditorium decor. He painted a scaled design, in real scenic paints, to present to LWT for approval – which it was! The cloth’s new sky graded from pure Prussian Blue at the top, through to paler, Wedgewood Blues towards the horizon and with soft wisps of cloud; another effect not seen on the original. Furthermore, a soft ‘vignette’ was created by shading the scene to slightly darker tones at the sides to focus attention towards the central part. Sightline Winter 2021 13 When Liz and Chris came to paint the landscape on the actual cloth, a recollection of Leonardo da Vinci’s smokey vistas suggested itself. This ’sfumato’ technique led to another pleasing effect and, without prompting, was later recognised by Dr Simon Thurley, the chair of the restoration Steering Committee and former head of English Heritage, when he came to see the work in progress. All this had to be satisfactorily completed before the highly intricate golden fretwork was imposed upon the scene. THE GOLDEN GATES In the months leading up to painting the real cloth, a lot of other preparation and planning took place. Chris made scaled drawings at 1:25 from the archive photo for marking out the skeleton framework on the cloth. Then this layout was broken down into smaller panels which were mirrored in symmetry but invariably with slight changes, as indeed the original artists must have relished in 1922. Prior to the painting period, Liz and Chris prepared full size, detailed paper cartoons of every panel. This was done in their own studio to save precious time on the paint frame. During work on the paint frame, some were placed directly on the canvas and transferred using soft charcoal before being flipped to mirror on the opposite side. Some were made into pounces (i.e. designs on stout paper with holes pricked through to allow multiple transfers by rubbing charcoal through – a technique derived from the Early Italian Masters of fresco painting). Patterns drawn onto gauzed panels (known as ‘Mouse traps’) were used for some of the larger areas. All manner of tricks and techniques were employed to ensure swift and accurate image transfers and there were adjustments and refinements along the way, throughout the entire painting. LW Theatres had hoped the Drury Lane’s historic paint frame would be used for the cloth’s painting. However, as the Theatre Royal had become a dusty building site during refurbishment, they hired the Royal Opera House paint frame in Purfleet. This first class facility proved to be supportive for Liz and Chris and enabled them to produce their best quality work. Armed with all the prepared information, Liz and Chris began work on the cloth in January 2020 and painting took place over 12 weeks with an interruption of 7 months, enforced by the Covid-19 lockdown. Many thanks to Chris Clark for his contribution to this piece photos: © Andy Paradise14 Sightline Winter 2021 Michael Hall Michael Hall was born in 1934, and after working on airborne radar during National Service, entered the lighting business in 1954 as a management trainee involved with cold cathode colour and photometric physics. He became a senior lighting engineer at Osram GEC and in 1975, while researching studio lamp design in Hollywood, Michael met Stan Miller who ran Rosco, then a gel supplier to the film industry. This meeting was pivotal in Michael’s career. In 1976 Michael and Stan opened Rosco in London. With a minimal staff it grew swiftly from just a gel company into a major supplier of dance floors, gobos and scenic paints. The range of colour filters became extensive and helped a revolution in lighting design. Rosco were exhibitors at the first ABTT Trade Show in 1976 and remained constant supporters for nearly the next forty years. When the company moved from the South Bank to Sydenham he built a paint frame for hire in their new warehouse, filling a gap in the market and ensuring that scenic artists always had a ready supply of paint! Michael was a Kentish man and retained a keen interest in bird watching throughout his life. On his retirement he and his wife converted a 500 year old barn as a home. Here, Michael had an extensive library and his collection of Magic Lanterns and slides. The lure of lighting and colour kept Michael involved as a consultant to Rosco. He was a keen supporter of the ABTT and he became an active member of its Historical Research Committee. He wrote and published a number of personal memoirs on colour, painting and lighting, as well as producing articles for Sightline. Michael never wavered in his love and support for the technical theatre industry. He died aged 87 on 25 September 2021 Roger Fox Val Hall Michael Hall (far right) with Roger Fox and Jane Thornton at the ABTT Historical Research Committee stand, celebrating one of his publications. Photo by Chris Taylor PhotographySightline Winter 2021 15 Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry Margaret Shewring Early Years Warwick Arts Centre first opened in 1974 at the heart of the University of Warwick’s main campus, providing a cultural focal point as well as a daily thoroughfare for students and staff walking across the campus, playing an important role in the life of the University, its students’ experiences and in the wider life of the local and regional community. Originally designed by Renton Howard Wood Levin, with Peter Hall, John Bury and Michael Holden among the performance space consultants, the Arts Centre was part of the pattern emerging in regional theatres for the establishment of a studio performance space as well as a main auditorium. It has had several extensions over the years including the Butterworth Hall, a large concert and events venue which opened in 1981, although little renovation of the original performance spaces had been undertaken. Forming the brief Conversations about the development of the Arts Centre began in 2011/2012, not just in terms of a much-needed refurbishment of some of the earliest parts of the existing building but with a clear eye on what was needed to enable the Arts Centre and its team to respond to changes in the performing arts, in screen-based media and in new digital forms, including gaming. The resulting radical transformation is the largest in the Arts Centre’s forty-seven-year history. Robert Freeman and Dominic Williams of Ellis Williams Architects worked with the University and the Arts Centre as conception architects to develop the brief. This was formulated with extensive consultation with students and staff as well as with a local arts business consultant, David Clarke of DCA. Funding bids formed an essential part of this process. The project was split into two phases: the refurbishment of the theatre, the studio theatre, backstage and administrative facilities, the music centre and the original foyer (Phase 1), followed by a process of demolition and new build (Phase 2) and the wrapping of the separate parts a unified whole. The architectural challenges included the importance of not being too intrusive in the original theatre and studio spaces while carrying out essential replacement and refurbishment to facilitate ventilation, artistic devices and theatrical equipment. It was an important priority to maintain the intimacy of the theatre and the flexibility of the studio as well as to ensure acoustic separation between these spaces. The design challenges were more extensive in the demolition and new build. These included the creation of three accessible digital auditoria on the first floor extending the Arts Centre’s screen offering (replacing the former ground-floor cinema) and the decision to improve the visibility and visitor attraction of the Mead Gallery by relocating it on the ground floor on the main axis from a new main entrance. Large double doors now open from the newly built foyer extension drawing the visitors’ attention into the extensive gallery space (600sq metres approximately). The large daylit space had been loved by artists – reacting to the quality of the light (and weather) outside while maintaining all the necessary controls for an art showing and installation space and having its own distinctive character. It was important to retain and enhance these features as part of a sympathetic new build. The current refurbishment and new-build process The intention was to keep the Arts Centre open throughout the project. Once described by is former director Alan Rivett as ‘a library without rules’, Warwick Arts Centre has been an integral part of the educational and cultural development at the heart of the University’s life and outreach. Some continuity of its vital role was essential throughout the process. Drawing of the ground-floor site plan indicating areas to be refurbished in beige, the new-build spaces in yellow and the areas to remain untouched in grey. The red line indicates the full extent of the Arts Centre site. Courtesy of Ellis Williams Architects.16 Sightline Winter 2021 When the theatre and studio spaces were being refurbished and closed temporarily in 2017 the remainder of the existing building, including the gallery, the Butterworth Hall with its recording studio, the Helen Martin Studio and the Woods-Scawen Room, as well as the Creative Learning Centre, café and bookshop, remained open, while live performance continued in a temporary 280-seat space, outside the main building, named by students (in a ballot) as the Goose Nest. Constructed in just nine weeks by a festival venue developer, Acorn Event Structures, the Goose Nest’s attraction was its sense of impermanence, with minimal performance facilities, staging both professional and student performances. Phase 1 Working with Theatre Projects as theatre consultants, the theatre and studio underwent detailed structural analysis leading to rewiring, upgraded ventilation and replacement seating, in consultation with Howard Potts and the Arts Centre’s technical team. Rob Harris worked with Theatre Projects on an initial acoustic survey, looking at noise bleed and noise transmission between the two performance spaces as the acoustic quality had been compromised over time. Holes in the building fabric around pipes and door frames were plugged as unobtrusively as possible to ensure acoustic separation. With the help of structural engineers Techniker, and Makers Construction, the roof of the old building was strengthened and made watertight. The original wiring had been maintained but never replaced. Phase 1 included rewiring both performance spaces as part of the change to LED lighting throughout the renovated and new-built complex. In the theatre, while the original structure was maintained, a full technical refurbishment was carried out allowing the lighting bars to be rigged in safety at ground level and the use of hand- or drill-driven winches to increase versatility alongside a doubling of lighting positions overhead. Refurbishment of dressing rooms and toilet/shower facilities backstage, along with redecoration throughout, formed part of the light-touch renovation work. Lighting Bridge 1 was maintained and updated with a new powered hoist to make its operation safer at height, in line with current guidelines and legislation. Its operation is linked to the orchestra pit elevator which was replaced and is now raised and lowered using an electrically powered linklift system. In terms of stage engineering, the stage and its traps have been divided into 1.2m squares able to be manually removed and rearranged individually to make changes easier for each new show. Phase 2 Phase 2 was, of course, impacted to some extent by the Covid-19 pandemic which prevented normal access to the campus, but Willmott Dixon Construction managed to continue with minimal interruption following careful risk assessment and Covid compliance measures. Ellis Williams Architects remained guardians of the overall design concept and Willmott Dixon worked with Jon Rigby of Bond Bryan as delivery architects. The superstructure of the new build consists of 2,664 individual pieces of steel. To connect onto the existing building, the structure required a complex form as there were very few simple angles. The process was facilitated The new façade to the front and side of Warwick Arts Centre. Courtesy of Bond Bryan / Phil Grayston Photography.Sightline Winter 2021 17 with the help of a point cloud survey (a laser scan of the site) to enable the precise positioning of the existing structure drum with the new structure to fit at the demolition line, with mechanical and engineering work on the structure enabling the project. The complex superstructure was then wrapped into the fabric of the building to create one whole. This process was not without its challenges. The control room of the Butterworth Hall overflies the foyer and is cantilevered at the rear of the hall, so needed additional support (temporary propping) to hold the old frame in place and then to put in the new fabric to connect the parts of the building. A curtain wall, similar in form to a zoetrope, wraps around the whole building. It is solid at the service yard at the rear, becoming more and more transparent towards the new front entrance (located facing the Student Union), and is backlit to offer a welcoming approach. Above the curtain wall the forms of the new facilities are expressed, indicating the location of each from the outside in a similar language of forms to those used for the facilities of the original building, clad with polycarbonate and, again, backlit. Twenty-four different roof levels are visible, designed for future-proofing the complex while extending the sculptural organic architecture of the space, creating a sense of continuity and linking parts of the finished structure while creating a distinct new identity. An outer colonnade, constructed out of aluminium with a distinctive paint finish, encloses glass walls set back under a roof overhang (supporting the overhang and casting shadows on the glass with its sliding, solar protection from UV). It is possible to see inside, particularly at night, revealing some of the activities inside including along a balcony running between the largest and smallest digital auditoria as a social gathering place. The reimagined Mead Gallery, too, uses daylight in its vibrant, welcoming space with advice from Light4, daylighting consultants and gallery lighting specialists. The newly built digital auditoria Three digital auditoria have been built on the first floor of the enlarged building. Each has been developed with attention to detail and high technical specifications to enable not just cinema capabilities but live performance and conferencing. All three have lighting boxes and trusses as well as performance panels. All three have Barco laser projectors. In the largest digital auditorium the sound is ceiling mounted and can be positioned precisely to create a dynamic, surround-sound experience. The middle and smaller spaces (Screens 2 and 3) have Dolby 7.1 sound capability with loudspeakers wall mounted around the perimeter while the largest (Screen 1) has Dolby Atmos and is able to take big-release films. All the infrastructure has been installed for large scale gaming, complementing the e-sports provision on campus in the Junction (the old sports building). The refurbished theatre from the stage into the auditorium. Courtesy of Ellis Williams Architects.18 Sightline Winter 2021 Adding value in the local area The transformed Arts Centre is important in terms of local employment as well as adding value to the cultural and economic life of the University and wider community in the region. It remains one of the largest multi- artform venues in the UK and, importantly, is reopening in time to contribute to Coventry’s year as City of Culture (May 2021–April 2022). The development process itself has used local supply chains wherever possible. ‘Throughout the project, the equivalent of £1.8m of social value return on investment was delivered to local people by way of a number of community initiatives. Over 17,000 hours were spent in supporting local young people with work experience opportunities, as well as 20 weeks with the University’s civil engineering students.’ (Willmott Dixon’s website) Sustainability A major development has been the energy source for the whole building. This is now supplied through the University’s district heating scheme. The old gas boilers have been removed and power is generated on campus. A heat recovery system is in place for air handling to retain and recover heat from exhaust air in the venues, while the foyer spaces are all naturally ventilated, so air conditioning is only used if necessary in the theatre and digital auditoria. Windows in the front façade, and the skylights in the roof, Drawing of the largest digital auditorium, Screen 1 (288 seats; 1.26m 2 per seat). Courtesy of Ellis Williams Architects. New main entrance. Courtesy of Bond Bryan / Phil Grayston Photography.Sightline Winter 2021 19 work on a principle of natural convection, while the new build is efficiently sealed. The Mead Gallery, newly located on the ground floor, has its own system of air and humidity control in keeping with the requirements of artworks, in line with the Government Indemnity Insurance Scheme for the security of artworks from national and international collections. Throughout the process the contractors monitored waste – with zero waste going to landfill. Willmott Dixon helped with the embedded carbon of the new build construction, selecting the most efficient materials and concrete mixes as well as monitoring the transportation of materials to the site, with an overall holistic approach to energy consumption. Access There is increased access throughout the building for wheelchairs as well as ensuring excellent sightlines for wheelchair users in all the performance venues. The largest digital auditorium has a choice of wheelchair positions at the front and, unusually, at the rear of the auditorium to allow comfortable viewing angles for the large screen. In addition to a sweeping, curved staircase, two lifts facilitate access between floors. These have been designed in consultation with Arup (Solihull) to serve as evacuation lifts for use, in conjunction with two refuge areas, in the case of fire for dignified egress. The building control operation has been designed in collaboration with West Midlands Fire and Rescue Services. Changing place facilities, as well as increased provision of gender neutral and gender specific toilets, are located for ease of access. Additional flexible space capabilities The generous foyer spaces are enabled for ‘pop-up’ performances, with sound and lighting connections to the building’s control room. The Gallery has performance panels concealed in floor traps and above the ceiling to enable performance-based installations and immersive events. Its original L-shaped structure has been preserved, allowing for the space to be used in a flexible range of configurations. It also has the capability to extend the L-shape by opening it out into the adjacent foyer, itself with generous AV connections, to enable lager art displays, installations, public receptions and conferencing as well receptiopns for large University occasions in the Butterworth Hall (including graduation days). The iconic White Koan, by artist Liliane Lijn, originally installed outside the Arts Centre in 1972 after standing on the roof of the Hayward Gallery in London, has been moved to different sites on campus during the Warwick Arts Centre project. It will return to a plinth outside the Arts Centre once the cabling has been put in place for it. The renovation and building process lasted for the past four years, with the building being handed back in June 2021 to complete preparations for its opening season, Autumn 2021. The catering concession, Benugo Bar and Grill, is currently being fitted out in the large foyer close to the Mead Gallery for an early 2022 opening, meanwhile there is food and drink available in the Arts Centre café opposite the music centre as well as pop-up bars on busy nights. Writing on the Arts Centre website in October 2021, the Centre’s Director Doreen Foster heralds its new era: ‘Our mission is to be a space where more people from across our communities can meet and engage with the arts. And we’re on a mission to reach out beyond our walls, to people who are looking to find their voice in art’. Funding Capital Spend for Phase 1 was £10.3 million and for Phase 2 was £26 million to the point at which the building was handed back. The Warwick 20:20 Project was made possible by: University of Warwick, Arts A helical stair connects the new foyer to the first floor. Courtesy of Willmott Dixon.Next >