The Bloomsbury Theatre, UCL, Bloomsbury

Nicholas Hare Architects for University College London
Contract value: £12.5m 
GIA: 2,520m² 
Cost per m²: £4,960

This 550-seat theatre, owned and run by UCL, is a unique resource for students and professionals. The refurbishment had to be carried out while the building’s other facilities continued: a complex challenge as the auditorium sits below the student gym, and above part of the main UCL student refectory. The studio theatre is below the stage, with student study workspace and union offices either side. Work included reinstatement of the 1968 theatre and works to the stage and fly-tower, while services and finishes have been entirely replaced.

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