An informal ‘work-in-progress’ feel
Haworth Tompkins for Donmar Warehouse
Contract value £3.1m. GIA: 1171m2
This conversion of a five-storey warehouse is the new administrative home for the Donmar, comprising a range of education spaces, library, offices, rehearsal, casting studios and practice rooms plus informal break-out areas. In typical form, the architect has stripped the building back to its raw materials revealing original brick, timber and the occasional rusting lintel, giving an informal ‘work-in-progress’ feel.
Two major new insertions – the stair and rehearsal studio – are made entirely of timber. The former, a colour-soaked collaboration with artist Antoni Malinowski, is dramatically lit and gives a strong sense of theatricality, while the rehearsal room is a fully equipped, double-height space. Interiors were designed with the set designers for the Donmar and are a symphony of urban retro. This project is a fantastic addition to Covent Garden’s cultural and architectural treasures.
See other winners in the RIBA Regional Awards 2015 – London