Shakespeare’s Globe Announces Architect for Indoor Jacobean Theatre

Shakespeare’s Globe has appointed Allies and Morrison to lead the design of the Globe’s new indoor Jacobean Theatre. Allies and Morrison have extensive experience in the care and conservation of historic and listed buildings and successfully led the design of the redevelopment of the Royal Festival Hall at the Southbank Centre. They have relevant experience to the Globe’s project in working on the Inigo Jones designed Queen’s House at Greenwich. The Globe’s plans to introduce an indoor Jacobean theatre to its already world-famous theatre site on London’s Bankside will be the most complete recreation of an English renaissance indoor theatre yet attempted.

Neil Constable, Chief Executive at Shakespeare’s Globe commented: “We are delighted that Allies and Morrison will be working with us on this exciting project to continue Sam Wanamaker’s dream of the Globe performing both indoors and outdoors. We are confident that their experience, enthusiasm and skill will enable us to deliver this project to the standards of original detail and period reference that it requires. They will work closely with Jon Greenfield, Reconstruction Architect, and our Architecture Research Group to ensure a faithful and considered approach to the historical references in this project.”

Paul Appleton, Partner at Allies and Morrison continued, "For us, the prospect of recreating, in the heart of Southwark, a theatre for which Shakespeare might have written his last plays, represents an extraordinary privilege."

Allies and Morrison have been involved in a broad spectrum of cultural and public projects ranging from a gallery for the Contemporary Applied Arts to the realisation of the BBC headquarters at White City. Recent projects include the new state-of-the-art planetarium at the Royal Observatory Greenwich and the restoration of the Royal Festival Hall and redevelopment of its environs. For both attractions the significant increase in visitor numbers is testament to the public acclaim the projects have achieved. The Royal Festival Hall was shortlisted for an RIBA Stirling prize and the Royal Observatory received awards from the RIBA, Civic Trust and AIA/ UK Chapter.

Allies and Morrison will work closely with Jon Greenfield as the Globe’s Reconstruction Architect. Jon, supported by Master Craftsman of the Globe Theatre, Peter McCurdy, will advise on reconstruction issues and how they relate to achieving a faithful Jacobean interior, and to ensure that a successful fusion of modern codes and licensing requirements with historical accuracy can be achieved.

The design team is supported by Paul Russell, the Globe’s Project Coordinator, and Flip Tanner, Theatre Planning and Design Consultant at Fisher Dachs Associates.

Project Management and Quantity Surveying services are provided by Phil Elliot of Gardiner and Theobald LLP, Mechanical and Electrical Consultancy services by FHP Engineering, and structural engineering support by Richard Heath at Momentum, Andy Nicolson at WSP Group is the Fire Consultant and David Bonnet Associates are the Access Consultants.

 
Shakespeare’s Globe is currently fundraising for the indoor Jacobean theatre, with a view to begin major construction work in November 2012, and launch the theatre, with a first winter season in 2013. The indoor theatre will seat around 320 people, with two tiers of galleried seating and an historical pit seating area, which will provide a uniquely intimate and intense theatre experience. Shakespeare’s Globe is a charitable trust which receives no annual government subsidy and is wholly reliant on the income it generates from admission charges, commercial activity and private fundraising