Bush Theatre, 2017

Formerly housed in a room above a pub in London’s Shepherd’s Bush, the Bush theatre is deeply embedded in its diverse west London community, presenting cutting edge new work for a new generation. Haworth Tompkins helped the theatre to find a new home in a former public library (already relocated elsewhere) and to organise a series of public consultation and participation events to develop the brief and establish the feel of the new space. These processes resulted in a temporary, experimental use of the building for the first year of occupation, providing an auditorium, a foyer and rudimentary back of house spaces on a very tight budget. The second, more permanent phase of work has provided better facilities for staff and performers, enabled barrier-free access to the whole building for the first time, added a new performance and community events studio and meeting space, extended the public foyer and connected it to a new, fully accessible entrance courtyard which connects directly with the public street. Throughout the project, both architect and client have made maximum use of modest resources to expand the Bush’s mission for a far wider community of theatre makers and audiences.

“We are proud of the landmark redevelopment of the Bush Theatre, wonderfully re-imagined by Haworth Tompkins. While our transformation has had an immediate impact, our project provides us with a sustainable platform for years to come. It enables us to work with more artists, welcome more audiences and to have a fundamental impact on the community in Shepherd’s Bush.”