Disability Access Works at Colchester Arts Centre
St Mary's at the Wall is a Grade II listed church, part of which is 15th Century. The church reopened as Colchester Arts Centre in 1980 and now hosts an eclectic mix of children's theatre, pop music and experimental performance art.
The Centre obtained lottery funding to enable it to comply with the new Disability Discrimination Act, which requires buildings to provide improved facilites for disabled people. It also gave the Arts Centre the opportunity to express itself as a contemporary organisation occupying an historic building.
As the building is listed the key to our approach has been to make a series of contained additions, rather like large pieces of furniture, which address the need to minimise alterations to the building fabric but make a maximum impact in appearance terms. The 'furniture' included a new ticket entrance and presence on the street, a new main entrance area, desk and screen, together with fully glazed entrance lobby. There is also a ramp for access to the ticket office and staff areas, level access to the stage and green room, and improvements to the green room itself including a small kitchen.
None of the additions are fixed in a permanent way to the building and all were designed to be manufactured off site and installed in the building during a short contract period.
The project required extensive consultation with the local authority planning office, and the Church Commissioners. We also provided full architectural and design services, including contract administration and the design of all furniture, fittings, lighting and signage.
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