Boulevard Theatre

soho, London

Walker’s Court is one of Soho’s most famous thoroughfares. It is a narrow pedestrian street linking Brewer Street and Berwick Street, and dates back to the 1700s. It is here that the Boulevard Theatre can be found, which is part of a large, mixed-use redevelopment of the area, with the aim of blending the old with the new.

The Boulevard Theatre adds to the artistic scene Soho is famous for, as the brief was to create a state-of-the-art, highly flexible, hard-working venue for music, drama, and shows.  Featuring a curved façade, which has been designed to accommodate a revolving stage, the exterior is clad with bricks and horizontal brass strips, making the building is a striking sight.

With limited space available, the innovative design from the projects’ architects, SODA, features a 150-seat auditorium that is able to revolve. This allows a range of different formats and allows the auditorium to connect to other spaces within the building.

18 Degrees designed a scheme that was tailored to provide a range of aesthetics which sit comfortably with everything from cabaret performances, to a candle-lit soloist.

“The innovation shown in the design of the theatre, particularly the revolving stage, was breath-taking. It did however raise several questions over how best to design the lighting to ensure it delivered optimum results however the theatre was configured at any given time.”

Christopher Knowlton