Established in 1915, Headington School is a boarding and day school for 710 girls aged 11 to 18. Its preparatory school teaches 280 pupils. Beard was appointed to build the school's theatre after successfully completing two previous projects: a dining hall and kitchen facility in the preparatory school, and a two-storey teaching block.
The theatre is located behind the Edwardian main school building within a conservation area. Since its completion in 2003, the theatre has been used not only for school productions, but also for public performances by international musicians and touring companies such as The Reduced Shakespeare Company.
The design of the auditorium reflects the intimacy of a Roman amphitheatre, and its angled shape provides the audience with excellent sight lines. The combination of fixed tiered seating and loose chairs accommodates various types of production and an audience of up to 270. Further flexibility is provided by the removable balustrades and mobile step units. The sunken orchestra pit can be infilled with sections of stage flooring when not in use.
The theatre's facilities include a foyer, ticket office, staff rooms, kitchen, projection room, dressing rooms, stores and plant room.
The specially manufactured steel frame was assembled on site, then infilled with brickwork and glazed units. The tiered seating area was constructed from pre-cast concrete.
Challenges and solutions
The design was complex and high-tech, so Beard worked closely with the design team to achieve a high quality build. The site manager's experience, together with the quality of the sub-contractors Beard selected for this project, ensured that all trades integrated successfully.
The services, cabling and lighting are housed in a complex roof space. Beard carefully planned the sequence of works so that the mechanical and electrical team, theatre lighting specialists and second fix trades could progress without delays.
