The Aylesbury Waterside Theatre, a £25m landmark timber structure and concrete, celebrated its official opening last week.
The building has a curvaceous shape enclosing a flexible layout auditorium seating 1,200 people. Around the concrete core more than 100 exposed glulam vertical timber fins, rising 10-15m, support the roof overhang.
Architects Arts Team said the extensively glazed building and the exposed fins draw inspiration from woodland trees.
“Trees in the forest are not set out in regular lines so we’ve taken this irregular pattern. The fins are deliberately set at different centres to give an echo of the random approach that you get in the forest,” said an Arts Team spokesperson.
Engineering firm Ramboll said it was not a standard building. “Every aspect of this complex project demanded innovative solutions that carefully addressed the architectural intent and theatre requirements,” it said.
For more on the theatre, click here to read an article from TTJ’s sister magazine Timber & Sustainable Building.
