The Theatre Royal is the oldest theatre in Glasgow, it was originally opened in 1867 as the Royal Colosseum & Opera House by James Baylis, changing its name to the Theatre Royal in 1869, and is the longest running theatre in Scotland. The Royal, and its shops and adjoining Alexandra Music Hall were designed by George Bell, of Clarke & Bell. Designed by Page/Park Architects, Sir Robert McAlpine constructed the £11.5 million extension to the Theatre Royal.
Designed by Page/Park Architects, the £11.5m scheme saw partial demolition of the Hope Street frontage to create a new signature entrance on Cowcaddens Road, together with four levels of foyer space in line with existing balconies.
The existing structure was remodelled internally to host new office accommodation while the existing entrance is maintained and other entrances connect within in an ‘L’ shaped foyer leading to a new axial approach to the main auditorium. The new foyer is completely open plan connected at each level with a feature spiral staircase. This open plan design was fundamental in the fire engineering considerations for the building.
To realise this open plan aspiration Atelier Ten utilised a natural smoke ventilation strategy to demonstrate that the areas in the extension remained clear of smoke during the evacuation of the building and that levels of safety in the open plan areas are actually greater than that of a standard design building.
