New theatre for Brighton College
Brighton College has completed their new performing arts centre. It combines studios and classrooms with a timber-lined, exquisitely detailed 400-seat theatre space. The design by krft is a sensitive - yet bold - sculpture, that places pupils at the heart of the new space. Using architecture to improve and enhance the education of its pupils has been a key part of the school’s vision. The completion of ‘The Richard Cairns Building’ marks the culmination of a 15-year masterplan that has transformed the 19th-century campus.
“By a mix of intention and good fortune, we have created a veritable theme park of outstanding contemporary architecture in a very traditional Victorian Gothic setting. Huge numbers of pupils have since been inspired to become architects and engineers as a direct consequence of what they have seen developing here over the last 15 years.” - Head Master Richard Cairns
A progressive approach
The new building follows hot on the heels of OMA’s School of Science and Sport, Eric Parry’s Music School, Allies and Morrison’s boarding house and Hopkins’ teaching block. The College is known for its progressive teaching environment and sees architecture as instrumental in this. They do not shy away from experiment and the choice to collaborate with the emerging Dutch architecture studio krft reflects this attitude.
Five architecture firms from the UK, US, Germany and The Netherlands were invited for a two-stage competition. Amsterdam-based studio krft won the project in 2019, with a proposal in which the theatre was first and foremost regarded as a school building, placing the pupils at heart of the design of theatre. Taking this quite literally, two Brighton College pupils even joined the studio in Amsterdam to support the design team in the early design stages.
After krft led the design through to the planning application stage, it collaborated with Nicholas Hare Architects (NHA) for technical support. NHA have been leading the project from technical design stage until completion, with krft supervising the design. The building broke ground in 2022 with Gilbert Ash appointed as the contractor. Despite the complexities of the project and the tight, historical context, the building was delivered on time and within budget, opening in April 2024.
Placing the pupil front and centre
The brief called for a 400-seat theatre space within a tight area, positioned between the historical Main Building by Sir George Gilbert Scott and the recently finished School of Science and Sports by OMA. “To open up the campus level, we set out to elevate the theatre hall, so it could float above a three dimensional, transparent and dynamic social space that connects the subterranean studios to the campus grounds, the raised theatre and the English classrooms. It’s a bold move for theatre design, where a theatre is a machine, revolving around effective logistics, but it’s a necessity for a school building, on a campus that is all about social interaction.” according to krft architects and founders Thomas Dieben and Oscar Vos.
