Public lecture to celebrate Haworth Tompkins RIBA Stirling Prize 2014

Public lecture hosted by School of Architecture, Royal College of Art and Theatrum Mundi

Haworth Tompkins’ Everyman Theatre was the winner of the RIBA Stirling Prize 2014. The building is the studio’s first completely new theatre, and is a culmination both of their many explorations into the theatre of the 21st century and of a nearly decade-long collaboration with the Liverpool and Merseyside Theatres Trust.

The new Everyman theatre replaces the 19th century home of an iconic Liverpool institution. The building makes use of the constrained topography of the site by arranging the public spaces around a series of half levels, establishing a continuous winding promenade from street to auditorium.

It is an exceptionally sustainable building; not only did the construction re-use 90% of the material from the old theatre, but all spaces are naturally ventilated including the auditorium with its 440 seats. Clever, out of sight concrete labyrinths supply and expel air whilst maintaining total acoustic isolation. It is one of the first naturally ventilated auditoria in the UK.

The Stirling Prize Judges said: ‘The new Everyman in Liverpool is truly for every man, woman and child. It cleverly resolves so many of the issues architects face every day. Its context – the handsome street that links the two cathedrals – is brilliantly complemented by the building’s scale, transparency, materials and quirky sense of humour, notably where the solar shading is transformed into a parade of Liverpudlians.’

 

Profiles

    Gemma Bodinetz

    Gemma Bodinetz is Artistic Director at the Everyman Theatre, Liverpool

    Ricky Burdett

    Ricky Burdett is Professor of Urban Studies at the London School of Economics (LSE), and director of LSE Cities and the Urban Age project. He is a member of the Mayor of London’s Cultural Leadership Board, and was chief advisor on Architecture and Urbanism for the London 2012 Olympics and architectural advisor to the Mayor of London from 2001 to 2006. He was director of the International Architecture Exhibition at the Venice Biennale in 2006. With Deyan Sudjic he is co-editor of The Endless City (2007) and Living in the Endless City (2011) and, with Philipp Rode Shaping Cities in an Urban Age (2018).

    Steve Tompkins

    Steve Tompkins studied architecture at Bath University and travelled extensively before joining Arup Associates in London. He was a founding member of Bennetts Associates in 1987 prior to forming Haworth Tompkins Architects with Graham Haworth in 1991.

    Adam Kaasa

    Adam Kaasa is Director of Theatrum Mundi and a Research Fellow in the School of Architecture, Royal College of Art.