PROJECT REPORT: CULTURAL, CIVIC & FAITH BUILDINGS 25
BEAM HERTFORD EAST HERTFORDSHIRE
Hertford hub’s second act
A renovation of a theatre and cinemas complex in Hertford by cultural sector experts Bennetts Associates has created a riverside hub with new openings both theatrically, and for the community. James Parker reports
O
pening this summer, BEAM transforms Hertford’s existing but outdated theatre and cinema provision to provide what will be a major cultural hub in the area, but also an important focus for the local community both socially and practically. Bennetts Associates, which specialises in theatres and working with existing structures, won a competition run by East Hertfordshire District Council in 2019. The firm’s 30+ years experience working in theatre projects, such as the Royal Shakespeare Theatre’s refurbishment on the River Avon in Stratford and Storyhouse in Chester, stood it in good stead for tackling this project. The Hertford project was a far from straightforward expansion, sitting on a site in the heart of town that’s partly over the River Lea.
The new additions comprise five interconnected blocks on this very compact site, increasing the theatre capacity while adding three dedicated cinema screens and community functions for the client, but raising a host of challenges for the
architects.Alastair Bogle, associate at Bennetts Associates, told me: “There’s a lot to fit in, it became apparent straight from the beginning that it’s more than just the theatre, it’s always been very much a community-based building.”
Partly due to the client being the council, and having a fundamental interest in the community involvement rather than just commercial positioning of the building, the supporting functions give this project a fairly distinct cultural mix. It was “much more than the Christmas shows and second release cinema” that the theatre ran, says Bogle. “That’s one of the things that we found most interesting about the project – being able to create that space for people.” Following their appointment, the country “went straight into lockdown.” However, Bogle admits that “in some ways, it helped the project that the theatre was ‘going dark’ anyway.” But once the project was underway to transform the building, he says that the town’s expectations for its rejuvenated facility grew exponentially, with gatherings to enjoy culture having been prohibited across the UK. Bogle says there were “a lot of interesting conversations with the client around whether people would want to come and gather anymore due to the rise in streaming platforms.” But he adds there has been a “real drive for people to get back together and experience things collectively, and I think that this building is going to be really important for that.”
The redevelopment of the theatre also “represents a significant and timely
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