Citizens Theatre marks one year to go as redevelopment progresses towards 2024 completion
- 5 months ago
Citizens Theatre marks one year to go as redevelopment progresses towards 2024 completion.
As 2023 draws to a close, the Citizens Theatre marks an important milestone in its ongoing redevelopment, with work on the building set to complete next year and productions on stage returning by the end of 2024.
The redeveloped building will transform the experiences of audiences, participants
and performers and secure the future of one of Scotland’s most iconic buildings and leading producing theatre companies.
The Citizens Theatre moved out of its historic home in the Gorbals in June 2018,
ahead of the first major redevelopment of the Category B listed building since it began life as a working theatre in 1878. The last 18 months have seen several major milestones on site, including the installation of a new fly tower and the return of the theatre’s original stone sculptures to the building’s roof.
Designed by Bennetts Associates, the extensive redevelopment is bringing the iconic building into the 21 st century. At its heart is a substantial restoration of the original sandstone Victorian auditorium, wrapped in an entirely new three storey building
which crucially provides universal access for artists and audiences. It also delivers new rehearsal, participation, and studio spaces supporting expanded activities for the community and offering Scotland’s rich ecology of theatre companies new spaces to rehearse and perform in. This includes a new 150 seat Studio Theatre which can have in the round or end on seating configurations. New bar facilities and social spaces will encourage audiences to linger and explore the building while improved backstage facilities and artist accommodation will be transformative for performers, creatives and visiting companies.
Key to the design is a commitment to preserve the unique heritage of the building and improve access to it, including vital structural interventions to the Victorian auditorium and stagehouse, and historic paint frame and stage machinery. New public access will be given to these heritage features through viewing windows while shows are being made and built - allowing visitors a glimpse of the talent behind the magic. Like the many old and new traditions that make up the identity of the building, the design will continue to marry heritage with a contemporary look and feel, delivering spaces full of character.
Work on site by the contractor Kier commenced in autumn 2019, before being disrupted by the Covid lockdown. Work was able to recommence under covid safety restrictions, but the pandemic and other significant UK and global events continued to have an impact on progress. The delicate work of upgrading the building while preserving its unique heritage has also resulted in several challenges during the rebuild, with various unforeseen on-site discoveries, some structurally critical, affecting overall progress to completion.
As 2023 draws to a close, the Citizens Theatre marks an important milestone in its ongoing redevelopment, with work on the building set to complete next year and productions on stage returning by the end of 2024.
The redeveloped building will transform the experiences of audiences, participants
and performers and secure the future of one of Scotland’s most iconic buildings and leading producing theatre companies.
The Citizens Theatre moved out of its historic home in the Gorbals in June 2018,
ahead of the first major redevelopment of the Category B listed building since it began life as a working theatre in 1878. The last 18 months have seen several major milestones on site, including the installation of a new fly tower and the return of the theatre’s original stone sculptures to the building’s roof.
Designed by Bennetts Associates, the extensive redevelopment is bringing the iconic building into the 21 st century. At its heart is a substantial restoration of the original sandstone Victorian auditorium, wrapped in an entirely new three storey building
which crucially provides universal access for artists and audiences. It also delivers new rehearsal, participation, and studio spaces supporting expanded activities for the community and offering Scotland’s rich ecology of theatre companies new spaces to rehearse and perform in. This includes a new 150 seat Studio Theatre which can have in the round or end on seating configurations. New bar facilities and social spaces will encourage audiences to linger and explore the building while improved backstage facilities and artist accommodation will be transformative for performers, creatives and visiting companies.
Key to the design is a commitment to preserve the unique heritage of the building and improve access to it, including vital structural interventions to the Victorian auditorium and stagehouse, and historic paint frame and stage machinery. New public access will be given to these heritage features through viewing windows while shows are being made and built - allowing visitors a glimpse of the talent behind the magic. Like the many old and new traditions that make up the identity of the building, the design will continue to marry heritage with a contemporary look and feel, delivering spaces full of character.
Work on site by the contractor Kier commenced in autumn 2019, before being disrupted by the Covid lockdown. Work was able to recommence under covid safety restrictions, but the pandemic and other significant UK and global events continued to have an impact on progress. The delicate work of upgrading the building while preserving its unique heritage has also resulted in several challenges during the rebuild, with various unforeseen on-site discoveries, some structurally critical, affecting overall progress to completion.