Architects of the found space
Jon Satow, Ben Todd & Neill Woodger
Ben Todd, Arcola Theatre
Jon Satow, Cragg Management
Neill Woodger, Arup
Theatres Trust Conference 2011
Objective:
• To move Arcola
without loosing
Arcola
Constraints:
• Time
• £250k
• Green
Dr Ben Todd, Executive Director
Art of Digital, Barbican, November 2009
Approach
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Treat it like a theatre production. Own it
Have a great team, know and respect their skills
Practise on your own house
Manage risk, don’t be afraid of it
Do the right-thing over the thing-right
Learn the rules, head some of them
Be unreasonable
Suffer for rules ignored & unreasonableness
The Team
Arcola – Ben manages, Mehmet & Leyla design & oversee
Arup – full design team for Feasibility Study Future Arcola.
Neill, Alex & Tim expert input
Cragg Management – initially full project management, but
budget shortfall reduces to design / planning support and
PM advice
Local contractors – with help of LB Hackney Technical
Projects Manager
Volunteers – corporate, local
The Result
“It is so much better than the old Arcola”
“Feels immediately alive”
“This is the building you were meant to be in”
Nominated in the New London Architecture Awards
(Opened on time and only a little over budget – we did more
works than we were supposed to. But nearly killed Ben
and burnt-out Andrew our supporting Production
Manager)
Top Tips
1. Get lots of advice and then do it your way
2. Find a design team you really like
3. Spend a lot of time in the building (6 months) getting to know
it before you make decisions
4. Change your mind half way through if necessary
5. Have meetings on site / in a theatre / in a comparable space
6. Raise the money, sign the lease, get planning and Licensing
permission before you start
www.arcolatheatre.com
Converting Spaces ~
Creating Theatres
The Theatres Trust Conference 2011
www.theatrestrust.org.uk