Glyndebourne

• Theatre ID
  681
• Built / Converted
  1994
• Dates of use
  • 1994: continuing
• Current state
  Extant
• Current use
  Theatre (Opera House)
• Address
  Glyndebourne, Lewes, East Sussex, BN8 5UU, England
• Website
  • http://www.glyndebourne.com

Details

The Glyndebourne Opera Festival opened on 28 May 1934 in an opera house created in the garden of John Christie's beautiful estate at Glyndebourne. After numerous alterations and additions over the years the decision was made to build a new theatre that would serve the demands of new productions, audiences and practitioners. This new theatre - the first opera house to be built in Britain since the 1934 building - opened on the 60th anniversary of the first house. The fundraising appeal launched by Sir George Christie for the new theatre raised £34 million from private and corporate sponsors. The old opera house was demolished and the new one constructed essentially on the same site, although turned through 180 degrees. Some of the old outbuildings changed uses - the old dressing room block and rehearsal space becoming the new restaurant and catering facilities. Michael Hopkins & Partners won the competition to design the new theatre, and were given several stipulations from the Christies - for example the building should blend into its surroundings and yet be 'unashamedly a building of its time'; the auditorium needed to be enlarged (there are 400 more seats in the new house), but retain the intimacy of its predecessor; and all of the work had to be done to a strict time scale and budget. The resulting building has won many awards. The main bulk of the building is of handmade bricks, with the fly tower a steel structure clad in lead. Inside the floors and ceilings are of acid-washed concrete, and the auditorium is crafted from century old pitch pine. The traditional horseshoe shape of the auditorium is lit by small lamps, giving it an intimate feel, and indeed despite the extra seating, the back wall is six feet closer to the stage than that of the old house. In 2001 the Jerwood Studio (also by Michael Hopkins & Partners) opened, adjoining the main stage. Funded by a £1m grant from the Jerwood Foundation, this provides a rehearsal space identical in size to the main stage.

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• Events
  • 1994 Use: continuing
  • 1994 Design/Construction:
    • Theatre Projects Consultants - Theatre
    • Michael Hopkins & Partners - Architect
    • Bovis - Contractor
    • Arup Acoustics - Acoustics
  • 1994 - 1999 Owner/Management: Sir George Christie (Chairman), Glyndebourne Productions Ltd
  • 2000 Owner/Management: Gus Christie (Chairman), Glyndebourne Productions Ltd
  • 2001 Alteration: Jerwood Studio - new rehearsal space - added.
    • Michael Hopkins & Partners - Architect
• Capacities
  • Original: 1200 seated plus 42 standing plus 12 wheelchairs
• Listings
  • Grade Not listed - the house is listed Grade II
• Stage type
  • Flat. Flytower, double purchase
• Dimensions
  • Stage dimensions: Depth: 18.5m Width (SL): 5.2m Width (SR): 5.2m
  • Proscenium width: 11.6m x 9.25m high.
  • Height to grid: 27.2m Flying/flown sets operated by motorised system controlling 32 hoists from touch screen; 73 lines
  • Inside proscenium: 19m
  • Orchestra pit: 80 (accommodates L. Symphony Orchestra). Moveable floor