Nevill Holt Opera

Nevill Holt, Leicestershire, United Kingdom, Europe

Completed · Cultural · Opera Auditorium In A Historic Stable · Temperate · 2018

A 400-seat horseshoe auditorium inserted into a 17th-century stable block on a Grade I-listed estate, replacing years of temporary tents. The building was extended down into the ground and up with a new roof, and lined with carefully sized timber to tune the acoustics. It was shortlisted for the 2019 RIBA Stirling Prize.

Innovation highlights

Theatre inserted into a listed stable block
Horseshoe auditorium for acoustic immersion
Tuned timber lining absorbing and reflecting sound
Volume gained by excavating below and re-roofing above

Innovations in the catalogue

Acoustically Tuned Timber Lining
Horseshoe Auditorium Inserted in a Heritage Shell
Gaining Volume by Excavating Below and Re-Roofing Above

Client / Developer: Nevill Holt Opera
Architect: Witherford Watson Mann Architects
Engineer: Sound Space Vision (theatre and acoustics)
Type: Opera auditorium in a historic stable

#opera #acoustics #heritage #adaptive reuse #timber