Archetech - Issue 20 [Page 94]
The resulting changes include a
new production building, the Max
Rayne Centre, to the south of the NT;
reconfiguration of the Cottesloe Theatre
to create the new Dorfman Theatre and
Clore Learning Centre; opening up of
the north-east corner, formerly a service
yard, to address the river walk with a
new riverside bar and café; remodelling
of the main entrance; transformation of
landscape and terraces; and refurbishment
of the foyers. NT Future gives the National
Theatre new spaces for education,
design, digital production, and workshop
assembly. Sustainability, based on work
by environmentalists Atelier Ten, will be
greatly strengthened. Public attitudes
to Twentieth Century architecture are
changing fast. NT Future aims to make
Lasdun’s greatest building accessible to a
new generation, while enabling the NT to
develop their role at the forefront of world
theatre.
The scheme’s lynch-pin is the Max Rayne
Centre, a new production building to the
south of the NT that houses a state-ofthe-art painting workshop, production
offices, and a studio for designers, as
well as departments relocated to enable
change elsewhere in the building. Clad
in aluminium fins and crumpled steel
mesh, the Max Rayne Centre is designed
to complement rather than replicate the
NT’s masonry language, harmonising
with Lasdun’s austere orthogonal forms.
Its west-facing balconies enable the NT
to address Waterloo Bridge and Upper
Ground, while a glazed facade to the
east opens up the painting workshop to
passers-by.
The Dorfman Theatre, named after a
signature gift from Lloyd Dorfman, founder
of Travelex and a long-term NT supporter,
maintains the Cottesloe’s spirit while
enhancing seating, capacity and stage
equipment. Carried out in collaboration
with theatre consultants Charcoalblue,
the changes will offer a better experience
for audiences, and more flexibility for
practitioners. The Dorfman will also be
available for education use during the day,
in conjunction with the Clore Learning
Centre, whose education facilities have
been converted from former workshops.
The Dorfman Theatre foyer has been
reconfigured for all-day opening, with
access to the public Sherling High Level
Walkway that allows visitors to see into the
newly-refurbished workshops.
The NT’s north-east corner, formerly a
service yard facing the river, has been
converted to public use with the creation
of The Understudy, a new bar, Kitchen,
a relocated café, and a new external
entrance to House, the NT’s refurbished
restaurant. All catering spaces will be run
by the NT itself. They will activate a part of
the river frontage that was formerly back
of house, enliven the river walk, and offer
a new welcome to visitors arriving from
the east.