Flexible build 300-seat theatre

Arup worked closely with the architects and stakeholder groups to deliver this versatile theatre to a tight budget, complementing other facilities in the area of Eastleigh, England.

Retractable seating and adjustable floor sections allow the theatre to be used as a large flat-floor space for workshops or be reconfigured as a 300-seat auditorium for music, theatre performances or digital cinema presentations with surround sound.

Comprehensive technical facilities include manual and motorised hoist bars, a networked digital audio infrastructure and variable acoustics. A tension wire grid above the auditorium provides a safe environment for technical theatre training.

A project run by the local council, to be operated by a professional theatre management and sited adjacent to a specialist performing arts school, presented a challenging set of requirements from the different stakeholders.