Client The Royal Central School of Speech & Drama
Location London, UK
Status Built
Awards
2006 RIBA Regional Award Finalist
2006 Camden Design Award Finalist
The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama is an international centre of excellence for the dramatic arts, performance and media. Jestico + Whiles designed a landmark building of new rehearsal and performance studios on a busy traffic junction between the commercial hub of Finchley Road and the quiet residential district of Belsize Park.
The design responds to the school’s long term objectives of improving teaching facilities and consolidating them into a single campus, replacing existing temporary and disparate accommodation. The design is bold and creates a strong identity in a busy urban context.
The building’s large scale and striking form provides a presence both by day and night. The design has carefully separated small teaching rooms from larger performance spaces within two distinct boxes. A circulation spine reveals the movement and interaction of building users at every floor level, enlivening the streetscape. Small windows to the street give pedestrians glimpses of the interior. Vertical alternating white glass with dark engineering brick, zinc cladding and distinctive render reinforce the bold features of the scheme.
The design of the building achieved a BREEAM rating of 'Very Good'.
