English National Ballet
SAS International installed products into a new state-of-the-art building for the English National Ballet.
This has been a transformational project for the ENB as the school, rehearsal and administration functions have moved from west to east London, now situated in London City Island. The English National Ballet’s new home is a focal point for the London City Island development. A public-facing facility, the building opens onto a civic square, inviting passers-by in through a ground-floor exhibition and café. The civic square opens up to an atrium that connects to all levels with a feature stair, enticing visitors to explore both the company and the school. A hub for creativity, the building’s opaque and clear façade cleverly define the studio in the daytime, and in the evening the building transforms into a single glowing object, bringing the civic space around it to life. Not only does the building easily allow passers-by to catch glimpses of the dancers inside as they rehearse, but it also serves to connect the English National Ballet to the local community.
The new 93,000ft² building significantly expands the English National Ballet’s (ENB) current accommodation by providing eight new rehearsal spaces, one of which has full stage rigging facilities which can be used as a performance space in its own right. The facilities are also shared with the ENB School that has its own dedicated dressing and rehearsal spaces. The space has given ENB the space and facilities they need to continue developing world-class artists, create new works and offer new jobs, skills and training opportunities for local communities.
SAS worked alongside BW Workplace Experts and Glenn Howells Architects, installing and manufacturing SAS600 acoustic rafts and SAS150 ceiling systems in the main areas of the building as well as the training studio. Being in a creative research and learning environment, the English National Ballet project required class A acoustic absorption. Acoustic performance was one of the main reasons why SAS600 floating modules were used as the technical team were able to design each raft to sit within concrete rafts, which kept the soffit exposed. The design of the rafts helps facilitate free air movement to the structural slabs, benefiting from thermal mass cooling. The design was an integral part of the project that was chosen specifically to suit the requirements of the training studio space. The way in which SAS600 was engineered meant that the distance between the floor and ceiling was increased, so when the ballet students were performing lifts, jumps or raising one another into the air, the ceiling height allowed enough space for them to move freely.
The English National Ballet project has already won a total of eight accolades, one of which includes RIBA National Awards 2021.
Founded in 1950 as London Festival Ballet by the great English Dancers, Alicia Markova and Anton Dolin, the English National Ballet has been at the forefront of ballet’s growth and evolution ever since. Bringing world-class ballet to the widest possible audience through live performances across the globe, The English National Ballet strive to implement innovation in the use of their services. They offer students digital subscription services to access training and classes on multiple devices. Their aim is to bring a renewed commitment to creativity, ambition and connection to more people than ever before. All of their income from ticket sales and fundraising goes toward achieving these goals through performances and engagement programmes.
Sector:
Education
Client:
English National Ballet
Architect:
Glenn Howells Architects
Main contractor:
BW Workplace Experts
System type:
SAS600
Region:
United Kingdom
