Existing building has been extended to include second theatre space
Bennetts Associates has completed a £30m scheme to turn a theatre in the middle of Hertford into a multi-purpose arts and culture venue.
Renamed Beam, the former Hertford Theatre on the banks of the river Lea includes a 547-seat theatre, three cinema screens and a second theatre space due to open next year.
Retaining the shell of the previous venue and its stage and backstage areas, the remodelled complex includes new brick-clad spaces enclosing a covered triangular courtyard, forming the main foyer.
The main theatre was a 400-seat flat-floor room with a large retractable seating unit before becoming a 547-seat auditorium with shallow-raked stalls, a balcony and a fully accessible technical grid.
The facades of the building are clad in locally produced brick to complement the historic buildings in the scheme’s immediate vicinity.
Others working on the scheme for East Herts District Council included main contractor GPF Lewis, structural engineer Integral Engineering Design, services engineer Max Fordham and cost consultant and employer’s agent Bristow Consulting.
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