The Quarry Theater at St Luke’s has been created from a redundant Moravian church and Minister’s House to create a new performing arts centre for Bedford School and the local community, combining the best of the old and the new to provide a beneficial use for an important Grade II listed building. The front of the church faces onto St Peter’s Street, in the town centre, while the land at the rear adjoins the School site.
Though there is no ideal shape or size of a theater but there are basic rules for designing a good theater and the quarry theater is a good example for it.
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photography by © Philip Vile
The Design of the Quarry Theater:
The church has been converted into a 300 seat galleried courtyard theatre, and the Minister’s House restored to provide front of house facilities, offices and a studio, with the addition of a new foyer and backstage extension at the rear.
The new foyer wraps around the semi-circular wall to the original chancel and a curved wall of glass provides views over the secluded gardens of the old churchyard.
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photography by © Philip Vile
The Quarry theater is a flat-floored flexible space, created by inserting a new steel structure within the volume of the existing church, which allows the existing interior to read through. The existing balcony has been re-tiered and two levels of new galleries have been inserted at the sides, together with high-level suspensions for scenery and stage lighting.
photography by © Philip Vile
Project Info :
Architects : Foster Wilson Architects
Project Year : 2015
Photographs : Philip Vile
Theatre Consultant : Theatreplan
Main Contractor : SDC Builders Ltd
Structural Engineer : Price & Myers
Services Engineer : Ernest Griffiths
Project Manager & QS : Ainsley & Partners
Acoustician : Gillieron Scott Acoustic Design
Project Location : 26 St Peters St, Bedford,England, Bedford MK40, United Kingdom
