Theatre Buildings

A Design Guide

Association of British Theatre Technicians (ABTT), Margaret Shewring

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Hardback

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English

Routledge
20 February 2024

Architectural structure & design; Architecture: professional practice; Public buildings: civic, commercial, industrial; Professional interior design; Theatre Studies

In 2021, its Diamond Jubilee year, the Association of British Theatre Technicians (ABTT) undertook to revise Theatre Buildings: A Design Guide (Routledge, 2010). This new edition (Routledge, 2023) has substantially re-written text with fresh images and entirely new reference projects, providing essential guidance for all those engaged in the design of theatre buildings. Edited by Margaret Shewring (Emeritus Reader, University of Warwick, former Director of the Postgraduate Diploma and MA in Theatre Consultancy), this new publication is written by a team of international experts, architects, theatre consultants, acousticians, engineers and industry professionals led by Tim Foster (Foster Wilson Size) and Robin Townley (CEO of the ABTT).

It provides an invaluable resource for those looking to build, remodel or conserve theatre buildings, taking into account the significant changes which have taken place in the last twelve years in all aspects of theatre design and technical practice. It locates those changes in the wider context of the need for sustainability in the theatre industry in response to the climate emergency, inclusivity, diversity of access, placemaking and concerns for health and wellbeing.

This new edition provides guidance for anyone who seeks inspiration and encouragement to create or improve a place of entertainment or who seeks to understand what might be required to accommodate an audience for the presentation of live performance and the successful use, operation and organisation of such a venue.

Its generous format and the thirty-two new reference projects, more than 260 high-resolution colour images and 175 diagrams and specially commissioned plans make it accessible and informative both to the general reader and the professional specialist.

Edited by: Association of British Theatre Technicians (ABTT), Margaret Shewring
Imprint: Routledge
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Edition: 2nd edition
Dimensions: Height: 276mm, Width: 219mm,
Weight: 1.840kg
ISBN: 9781032355290
ISBN 10: 1032355298
Pages: 392
Publication Date: 20 February 2024
Audience: Professional and scholarly , Undergraduate
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Section 1: Design principles Section 2: Developing the brief Section 3: Social principles for the twenty-first century Section 4: Front of house and other public spaces Section 5: Auditorium design principles Section 6: Auditorium: Sensory and practical imperatives Section 7: Backstage creative environment Section 8: The stage and stage machinery Section 9: Lighting, sound and video Section 10: Restoration and conversion of existing buildings Section 11: Moving forwards: a call to action Reference projects

Margaret Shewring is Emeritus Reader in Theatre and Performance Studies at the University of Warwick and former Director of the Diploma and MA in Theatre Consultancy. Much of her research and publication is concerned with spaces for performance from the Renaissance to the present. Robin Townley is Chief Executive of the Association of British Theatre Technicians, with over thirty years' experience in the arts and entertainment industry. He is a director of Skillscene and a member of the Standing Committee for Technical Standards for Places of Entertainment. Tim Foster is the founding partner in Foster Wilson Architects, now Foster Wilson Size. He is currently chairman of the ABTT Theatre Planning Committee and the International Organisation of Scenographers, Theatre Architects and Technicians (OISTAT) Architecture Commission. He is Fellow of the ABTT and, from 2009–2015, was a trustee of The Theatres Trust. David Hamer, a theatre architect working on the design of both new build and refurbished performing arts venues, works for Theatre Projects consultants. He created the drawings for the ABTT book Modern Theatres 1950—2020, published by Routledge in 2021.

Reviews for Theatre Buildings: A Design Guide

"""This new edition of Theatre Buildings brings up to date our understanding of the range and complexity of theatres. The contributors have shared a wealth of knowledge to help deliver excellence and inclusion to audiences, setting a very high bar. This is a definitive book. It informs choices for the future, reflects on the success of the past, and sets out a range of tools whilst being clear in our needs. It will be essential to those studying, working or dreaming of theatre and the creation of the multi-faceted spaces that serve performance."" James Williams, Chief Executive of the Shaftesbury Theatre, London. Sightline: Journal of Theatre Technology and Design, Spring 2024 ""The book takes you through the whole process of designing and building a theatre. The last section, ‘Moving forwards: a call to action’, is a pledge to give several social issues and values much more attention in the process of developing a theatre. It speaks, amongst others, about sustainability, inclusivity, accessibility, and engagement with communities. For me, this was written from the heart. The book is very pleasant to read and covers a comprehensive list of aspects which one has to deal with when working on a theatre project … the information is complete, at the right place and spot on."" Louis Janssen, retired theatre consultant at Theateradvies bv, the Netherlands. Sightline: Journal of Theatre Technology and Design, Spring 2024 ""One key to the Guide’s success is that it is a collaborative work – its pages distil the combined knowledge of 60 leading theatre design practitioners, expertly stitched together by Margaret Shewring. Its range is encyclopaedic: from the fundamental purpose of theatre to aspirational social principles, theatre forms and techniques, to essential information on the dimensions of seats, and heights of balustrades. Throughout it is succinct and authoritative. The 32 Reference Projects [feature theatres built or renovated] within the last twelve years ... The precision of [the] drawings; plans, the site plans that put them into context and the essential cross-sections, convey so much more than words. David Hamer’s contribution in producing these drawings, so rigorously consistent in format, scale and graphic design, is of immense value and an important resource for all theatre practitioners."" Tim Ronalds, founding director of Tim Ronalds Architects. Sightline: Journal of Theatre Technology and Design, Spring 2024"