Architecture studio Haworth Tompkins has expanded The Old Vic in London, creating a new space for the theatre’s outreach programme. The contemporary extension, called Backstage, features a vibrant facade constructed from recycled theatre spotlights.
Spanning 1,250 square metres, Backstage replaces a former restaurant on Waterloo Road. The new addition to the Grade II*-listed landmark offers dedicated areas for The Old Vic’s work with local communities, schools, and aspiring creative professionals.
At the other end of the site, Haworth Tompkins has also modernised the Webber Street stage door, making it fully accessible for the first time in The Old Vic’s 200-year history. The project includes upgrades to dressing rooms, offices, and toilets.
“The brief called for a colourful, welcoming home for creativity and community, and the result supports every part of the theatre’s life, from writing and rehearsal to education and outreach,” said Haworth Tompkins director Lucy Picardo in an interview with Dezeen.
“The Backstage building purposely does not try to replicate the adjacent Grade II*-listed Old Vic theatre. Instead, the extension is a structure with its own distinct identity,” she explained.
The six-storey extension, which includes a basement, is organised around a dramatic triple-height cafe and bar. This space is framed with exposed glued-laminated timber (glulam) and offers views onto Waterloo Road through a fully glazed facade.
Although the glulam structure was newly built, the project embraced what Picardo describes as a “fabric-first, sustainable approach”, prioritising the retention of existing walls and the reuse of materials from the former building.
