Theatre Royal Winchester Café Bar

SPACES Award 2020 - Shortlisted

Theatre Royal Winchester is a Grade II Listed 420 seat theatre, situated in the heart of the City. It presents up to 200 performances per year, welcoming over 70,000 visitors.

In 2001 extensive internal remodelling was completed creating a new foyer and bar. However, by 2019 the building was failing to meet the needs of the Theatre Trust, with poor circulation and limited access negatively impacting the visitor experience.

As a result of generous investment and support from Hampshire County Council (HCC), the Garfield Weston Foundation, the Backstage Trust, Foyle Foundation and The Hobson Charity, HCC Property Services team were appointed to transform the front of house areas.

The client’s brief was to create a welcoming public café-bar to increase daytime trade, attract more pre-show theatregoers and provide public space for creative meetings and informal performances. The key strategy behind the design was to reorganise the foyer area ensuring the new bar servery was highly visible, easily accessible and engaging to passers-by, as well as providing the Theatre with the capacity to accommodate large numbers of customers in the short interval periods.

High quality finishes including antiqued brass, walnut parquet and gold leafed detailing enhance the feel of luxury and performance, reflecting the Edwardian elegance of the main auditorium. In addition to the remodelled foyer, there is a multi-purpose performance space linked to the bar, which includes its own audio-visual facilities.

As a result of this project, public engagement with the building has significantly increased and the Trust are looking forward to welcoming visitors for another 100 years.