Olympia Theatre, 2026

Haworth Tompkins are collaborating with Heatherwick Studios on a new theatre building in west London. When complete it will be the largest new permanent London theatre since the National Theatre in 1976. Operated by Trafalgar Entertainment Group, the theatre building will incorporate a number of other ancillary uses and is part of a wider redevelopment of the famous Olympia exhibition centre. At the heart of the project is a new 1570 seat auditorium, a grand proscenium house in the classical tradition with three main seating levels, contained within sumptuously painted wall linings. Our aim is to achieve a level of contact and intimacy normally associated with much smaller capacity spaces. The principal foyer is arranged vertically on multiple levels, each with its own interval bar, around a dramatic central atrium with horseshoe balconies overlooking the lower levels and outward to the city beyond. Entrance and arrival spaces serve both the street level and a raised thoroughfare that forms the spine of the new development. The accommodation is completed by a full suite of dressing rooms and technical back of house spaces. This complex project is scheduled to complete in 2026.