Venues for the performing arts are complex, high risk and very much in the public eye. Simon Downing of Davis Langdon, an Aecom company sets out the design and construction considerations and the impact these all have on the total project cost
01 / INTRODUCTION
Performing arts buildings are complex, high risk and costly. These buildings are designed to house the performing arts of music, drama, opera and dance. Often designed to be awe-inspiring, they are more about volume than floorplate. Challenging to fund, they are built to provide a cultural function, which will benefit the public at large rather than an individual client.
Performing arts buildings have three distinctive sub-types:
- Concert halls: mainly used for music
- Theatres: mainly used for drama
- Opera houses: used for opera and ballet.
Sometimes these sub-types may be combined to provide a multi-purpose hall, often for use by a local authority.
Within each sub-type there are wide variations. A concert hall may be a 500-seat hall for chamber music, or a 2,500-seater for performances by orchestras. Halls may be more suited to non-amplified or amplified music.
Since the mid-nineties, arts buildings have been well funded by either governments or philanthropic individuals, often linked to lottery funding. However, in more recent times, the effect of worldwide austerity measures and the changing priorities of the public purse have meant considerably fewer projects moving from initial concept to construction. Despite these challenges, there is a continuing need to ensure performing arts buildings are modern and meet the requirements of today.
The Arts Council, and the Heritage Lottery Fund are still significant potential funders for performing arts buildings. Heritage Lottery Funding is linked to heritage-related issues,
and generally the building user or owner will need to raise match funding. In London, most West End theatres are privately funded, and there is an increasing move to self-funded community theatre, many associated with schools.
Arts projects are high risk in that they are highly complex, bespoke buildings, and often have inexperienced clients with limited budgets.
Analysis by the National Audit Office on 15 early Arts Council/lottery-funded projects found that although most projects met or exceeded attendance targets and other, artistic, targets, nine were completed late, and 13 exceeded their budget. Subsequent projects have also experienced difficulties.
Steps to improve project delivery have included more vigorous monitoring, strong client project management resources, setting aside a significant client reserve to cover unforeseen contingencies and also funding shortfalls.
Any arts or cultural organisation embarking on a capital project must ensure that it has a well-defined project proposal, and the required management resources. Business planning is essential and funding bodies will ensure that plans are artistically and financially robust.
03 / VALUE DRIVERS
The key question to consider when designing a performing arts building is to consider the client鈥檚 aspirations. This will determine the brief and the key value drivers throughout the life of the project.
The theatre consultant and a specialist cost consultant can add much to the client鈥檚 concept in helping to refine it into a coherent brief for the architect and design team while also guiding the first thoughts on funding.
At the heart of the client鈥檚 aspirations will be the auditorium and the relationship between the performer and the audience. The 鈥渇eel鈥 of the auditorium, the size, the number of seats, and the finish to the auditorium, are all important.
The back of house space, the stage and technical equipment can be equally important value drivers. These will contribute to the attraction of the building for performers.
Increasingly, the foyer space and the retail space are perceived as value drivers. They can transform the building from having an evening-only use to an all-day use. At London鈥檚 Royal Festival Hall, the foyers are now vibrant with activity throughout the day, and form a destination in their own right.
Foyer, retail and catering space will contribute to the economic viability of the building.
04 / DESIGN ISSUES
Each performing arts building is unique, designed to meet the aspirations of the client while providing a building fit for use. Even a local theatre is expected to make an architectural contribution to its neighbourhood, and an international theatre will most likely be an iconic building in its own right. All performing arts buildings add to local economic activity and often lead to developments in surrounding areas. Classic examples are the Lowry and Salford Quays, the Globe and London鈥檚 north Southwark.
Key design drivers are:
- Volume
- Number of seats
- Area per seat
- Core area
- Core front of house efficiency
- Area front of house
- Core back of house efficiency
- Area back of house
- Lifts, risers, plant,structure, efficiency
- Specification level.
Targets for these need to be established as early as possible in the concept stage to guide the design team and to plan costs and fundraising.
The theory of layout
These are complex buildings with many functions. The diagram below shows the complexity of the relationship between the various types of space. In particular, it can be seen how plant, circulation and space for structure is required, if the building is to function properly.
Core area - performance space
The performance space is the core of the building, enabling performers, directors and designers to reach out to their audience. It includes the seating for the audience, and the stage for the performers. A well designed performance space will enhance the performer and link them to their audience, whereas a poorly conceived space will make it much harder to perform and to participate.
There are as many different forms of auditoriums as there are ways of presenting performing art.
Specific designs might include a proscenium, where the audience is separated from the stage by an arch; a thrust stage where the stage projects out into the audience; theatre in the round where the audience surrounds the stage on all sides; an amphitheatre; or an arena.
Flexibility can be important, both from an artistic and commercial perspective, but may increase both capital and operating costs.
In auditoriums and stage planning, the key issues are:
- Arrangement of the performance space to create a two-way communication between the performer and the audience and the principal character of the performing arts building
- The design should address sightlines, audibility, access for all, means of escape, audience comfort, the needs of the performing brief and 鈥済et in鈥 to the stage
- Mechanical services installations, providing an appropriate balance between capital cost and running cost, audience comfort, space take-up by ductwork and plant noise levels. The introduction of air conditioning has been a key aspect of many projects, improving an audience鈥檚 concentration and experience. However, running costs are potentially a major problem. Some projects have been developed to use low-energy solutions, such as ground water cooling and natural ventilation flows
- Seating. This may be flexible and can be easily and economically rearranged, or fixed
- Technical provision throughout the auditorium to enable fully flexible sound, lighting and staging, meeting modern health and safety standards. For example, provision of a technical attic, to provide safe, quick and flexible installation of production lighting and audiovisual installations.
Front of house
Front of house areas represent the public face of a performing arts building, and are complex, multifunctional spaces that need to meet a wide range of demands, from break-out space to retail and catering space, while creating an identity for the building, and the cultural organisations that use it. They will be full before a performance but much emptier at other times and need to be warm and inviting in both conditions.
The foyers should draw in the public and create a sense of anticipation ahead of the performance. Many challenges in the design of public space relate to establishing the character of the venue, accommodating intensive patterns of use, and specifying for high levels of wear and tear.
Sizing of areas is a key issue, balancing comfort and convenience against the high capital cost of front of house space. Other considerations include:
- Design of circulation flows to avoid pinch points and cross flows
- Opportunities for performance in the public spaces
- Design of layout to optimise the number of staff employed and avoid their potential isolation
- Efficient and effective segregation of public and private space including secure money handling and space for patrons taken ill during a performance.
Back of house
Back of house facilities are often the first to be reduced if funding is constrained. However, space for technical and artistic staff is relatively cheap compared with front of house and auditorium areas, and a reduction may not deliver significant cost savings.
Major considerations regarding back of house design and layout include:
- Getting the brief correct. For example, only providing rehearsal and production facilities where these will be required on a regular basis
- Locating staff accommodation to facilitate management and the strengthening of company spirit and identity
- Access requirements, including appropriate access to technical areas, and for unloading and getting equipment on stage
- Storage space for props, musical instruments, and technical equipment. Storage is particularly critical in buildings where the auditorium is designed to be rearranged.
05 / SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS
Along with the key drivers and design issues, there are specific issues and requirements that need to be considered.
好色先生TVs that house the performing arts can be very expensive. Often they have an innovative design, so they do not benefit from the use of well tried construction techniques, or the economies of scale that are available to commercial schemes of a similar value.
Indicative construction costs per m2 are:
- Mid-range theatre (regional standard) 拢2,500-拢4,000
- Large theatre (national standard, more than 600 seats) 拢4,000-拢6,000
- Opera house (iconic standard) 拢6,000+
One challenge is that costs are mainly driven by the auditorium, stage and foyer areas, so there is little flexibility once the size of the performance space, and character and quality of the building has been determined. Furthermore, there is no simple set of cost drivers that can be addressed to make savings without drastically affecting the character and quality of a scheme. Key cost drivers are:
- 好色先生TV volume
- Wall to floor ratio
- Quality of facade treatments
- Acoustic standards
- 好色先生TV services specification
- Extent of finishes and client fit-out
- Theatre equipment (technical fit-out).
Indicative budgets for theatre equipment are often initially set as a percentage of the construction budget. (Excluding theatre equipment.)
Size of theatre | % of construction budget |
---|---|
Large theatre/opera house (greater than 1,000 seats) | 18-25% |
Medium-size theatre (up to 1,000 seats) | 15-20% |
Small theatre (up to 500 seats) | 15-22% |
[There is a minimum base level for equipment]
A receiving house would tend to have a lower percentage of the budget committed to theatre equipment than a producing house of the same size.
In the context of performing arts buildings it is also important to consider the concept of total project cost. Typically, arts clients will only commission large construction projects infrequently, compared with a commercial developer who will be aware of all the costs involved.
The construction element of a performing arts building could only comprise 60% of the total project cost, excluding site purchase. Examples of non-construction costs are:
- Surveys to existing buildings
- Design competition and consultant selection costs
- Furniture, fittings and equipment
- IT and communication systems
- Professional fees - project team
- Legal fees
- Planning and 好色先生TV Control fees
- Insurances
- In-house project costs including fundraising, marketing and reopening
- Decant costs and interim performance space costs
- Project and construction contingencies
- Non-recoverable VAT.
06 / COST MODEL
The cost model is for a new build regional theatre, with a Gross Internal Area (GIA) of about 4,850m虏. Costs are at first quarter 2013 price levels, based on a lump-sum contract in a South-east of England location. The following items are excluded: fit out of retail, kitchen and exhibition spaces: site preparation, external works and incoming services: professional fees, VAT and specific site abnormals. The rates may need to be adjusted to account for specification, site conditions, procurement route and programme.
Total (拢) | 拢/尘2 | ||
Substructure | 1,117,400 | 230.39 | 6.53% |
Basement substructure, sheet piling, temporary supports: 600m @400 | 240,000 | ||
CFA Piled foundations, 600mm diameter, 21m deep: 140 nr @ 拢3,200 | 448,000 | ||
Ground slab: 300 thick on hardcore bed: 1,830m @ 拢160 | 292,800 | ||
Allowance 200mm for suspended slab: 530m @ 拢220 | 116,600 | ||
Allowance for lift pits, including excavation, water proofing and insulation 1 item @ 拢20,000 | 20,000 | ||
1,117,400 | |||
Frame and upper floors | 1,589,800 | 327,79 | 9.28% |
Structural steel columns: 120 tonnes @ 拢2,500 | 300,000 | ||
Structural steel beams: 210 tonnes @ 拢2,000 | 420,000 | ||
Additional steelwork in the form of steel trusses and circular hollow steelwork: 1 item @ 拢200,000 | 200,000 | ||
Allowance for fireproofing to steel beams and columns: 1 item @ 拢75,000 | 75,000 | ||
Precast concrete planks: 100-200mm thick: structural topping, reinforcement: 2,220m @ 拢90 | 199,800 | ||
Allowance for reinforced concrete tiered floor system: 850m @ 拢400 340,000 | 340,000 | ||
Lighting bridge and forestage grid over auditorium: including support system: 100m @ 拢550 | 55,000 | ||
1,589,800 | |||
Roof | 418,900 | 86.37 | 2.44% |
Kingspan roof panels: including secondary steelwork, insulation and perimeter treatment: 1,830m @ 拢130 | 237,900 | ||
Steelwork trusses to fly tower | 60,000 | ||
Cladding to areas of sloping roof: 420m @ 拢180 | 75,600 | ||
Allowance for roof access and mansafe system: including access hatches, ladders, etc: 1 item 2,270m @ 拢20 | 45,400 | ||
418,900 | |||
Stairs | 77,500 | 160.31 | 4.54% |
Allowance for insitu concrete staircases, each staircase comprising 2 flights and 2 landings: 10 nr @ 拢7,000 | 70,000 | ||
Allowance for other steps to front of house areas | 10,000 | ||
Allowance for balustrades and handrails to all stairs, balconies and performing areas: 915m @ 拢500 | 457,500 | ||
Allowance for balustrades and handrails to back of house stairs and performance areas: 600m @ 拢350 | 210,000 | ||
Allowance for access ladders, etc, to plant spaces: 1 item @ 拢10,000 | 10,000 | ||
Allowance for reinforced concrete ramps: 2 nr @ 拢10,000 | 20,000 | ||
777,500 | |||
External walls, windows and doors | 1,572,250 | 324.18 | 9.18% |
Cavity wall construction, insulation, render both sides to roof walls to open plant area paint: 1,000m2 @ 拢220 | 220,000 | ||
Allowance for cladding to the studio theatre walls: 600m2 @ 拢400 | 240,000 | ||
Glazed curtain walling to foyer, third floor and elevated office: 665m2 @ 拢900 | 598,500 | ||
Allowance for cladding and insulation to fly tower: 975m2 @ 拢250 | 243,750 | ||
Allowance for facade enhancements: 1 item @ 拢200,000 | 200,000 | ||
Allowance for external doors, including feature entrance doors, steel doors and scenery doors 1 item @ 拢70,000 | 70,000 | ||
1,572,250 | |||
Internal walls (structural) | 104,700 | 21.59 | 0.61% |
140mm blockwork: 1,650m2 @ 拢40 | 66,000 | ||
Reinforced concrete wall 300mm, lift shafts: 215m2 @ 拢180 | 38,700 | ||
104,700 | |||
Internal partitions & doors | 433,250 | 89.33 | 2.53% |
Auditorium walls jumbo partition, insulation: 975m2 @ 拢60 | 58,500 | ||
Partitions: dry lining taped and jointed 2,095m2 @ 拢50 | 104,750 | ||
Allowance for glazing: 1 item @ 拢20,000 | 20,000 | ||
Allowance for internal doors, including acoustic doors: 1 item @ 拢250,000 | 250,000 | ||
433,250 | |||
Wall finishes | 473,450 | 97.62 | 2.76% |
Extra over for fair face on concrete/precast: 1,310m2 @ 拢10 | 13,100 | ||
Extra over on blockwork for fair face and pointing: 4,115m2 @ 拢5 | 20,575 | ||
Plaster: 7,315m2 @ 拢20 | 146,300 | ||
Wall paint: 10,800m2 @ 拢7 | 75,600 | ||
Hygienic paint: 1,335m2 @ 拢15 | 20,025 | ||
Wall paper to bar: 130m2 @ 拢20 | 2,600 | ||
Tiling: 550m2 @ 拢55 | 30,250 | ||
Allowance for enhanced finishes to foyer: 1 item @ 拢20,000 | 20,000 | ||
Allowance for acoustic treatment: 1 item @ 拢100,000 | 100,000 | ||
Allowance for Internal decoration to fly tower: 1 item @ 拢20,000 | 20,000 | ||
Allowance for cable routes: 1 item @ 拢25,000 | 25,000 | ||
473,450 | |||
Floor finishes | 490,500 | 101.13 | 2.86% |
Screed: 2,690m2 @ 拢30 | 80,700 | ||
Carpet tiles to BOH: 210m2 @ 拢40 | 8,400 | ||
Vinyl to BOH: 835m2 @ 拢40 | 33,400 | ||
Semi-sprung stage floor: 510m2 @ 拢100 | 51,000 | ||
Auditorium carpet: 850m2 @ 拢120 | 102,000 | ||
Carpet to corridors, etc: 330m2 @ 拢70 | 23,100 | ||
Carpet to foyer: 365m2 @ 拢60 | 21,900 | ||
Safety flooring, WC and kitchens : 290m2 @ 拢65 | 18,850 | ||
Timber strip flooring to FOH: 35m2 @ 拢150 | 5,250 | ||
Timber strip flooring to stairs: 95m2 @ 拢200 | 19,000 | ||
Hard finish to foyers: 315m2 @ 拢100 | 31,500 | ||
Paint to plant rooms, stores: 765m2 @ 拢10 | 7,650 | ||
Allowance for matwells and nosings: 1 item @ 拢20,000 | 20,000 | ||
Skirting: 3,350m @ 拢15 | 50,250 | ||
Allowance for wheelchair locations to auditorium: 1 item @ 拢10,000 | 10,000 | ||
Paving to external balcony: 100m2 @ 拢75 | 7,500 | ||
490,500 | |||
Ceiling finishes | 264,035 | 54.44 | 1.54% |
Low quality suspended ceiling: 655m2 @ 拢50 | 32,750 | ||
Med quality MF suspended ceiling: 315m2 @ 拢60 | 18,900 | ||
High quality MF suspended ceiling: 765m2 @ 拢80 | 61,200 | ||
Extra over on reinforced concrete planks for fair face (unpainted) 1,145m2 @ 拢5 | 5,725 | ||
Plaster finish: 250m2 @ 拢20 | 5,000 | ||
Emulsion paint finish: 2,285m2 @ 拢6 | 13,710 | ||
Suspended ceiling to underside of auditorium: 635m2 @ 拢100 | 63,500 | ||
Oil paint: generally to public areas: 1,490m2 @ 拢10 | 14,900 | ||
Hygienic paint, 290m2 @ 拢15 | 4,350 | ||
Finishes to underside of auditorium balconies: 440m2 @拢100 | 44,000 | ||
264,035 | |||
FF&E | 418,780 | 86.35 | 2.44% |
Internal directional and advertising signage: 1 item @ 拢50,000 | 50,000 | ||
WC cubicles duct and back panels: 45 nr @ 拢1,200 | 54,000 | ||
Vanity units: 51 nr @ 拢500 | 25,500 | ||
Shower surrounds: 2 nr @ 拢600 | 1,200 | ||
Mirrors and sundries: 48 nr @ 拢60 | 2,880 | ||
Box/booking office joinery and grilles: 1 item @ 拢10,000 | 10,000 | ||
Main bar and grilles: 1 item @ 拢70,000 | 70,000 | ||
Dressing room joinery: 1 item @ 拢50,000 | 50,000 | ||
Kitchenette/WC fit-out: 1 item @ 拢5,000 | 5,000 | ||
Stage door joinery: 1 item @ 拢3,000 | 3,000 | ||
Laundry fittings: 1 item @ 拢2,000 | 2,000 | ||
Cloakroom counter, fittings and grilles: 1 item @ 拢10,000 | 10,000 | ||
Baby change units: 6 nr @ 拢750 | 4,500 | ||
Usher seats: 4 nr @ 拢300 | 1,200 | ||
Sets of safety eyes below seats: 2 nr @ 拢1,500 | 3,000 | ||
Lighting bars: 1 item @ 拢30,000 | 30,000 | ||
First aid fit-out: 1 item @ 拢2,500 | 2,500 | ||
Buggies store fit-out: 1 item @ 拢1,000 | 1,000 | ||
Fittings to sundry offices and similar: 15 nr @ 拢500 | 7,500 | ||
Control room fittings: 3 nr @ 拢2,000 | 6,000 | ||
Roller shutters generally: 1 item @ 拢32,000 | 32,000 | ||
Roller shutter to bar: 60min pcc finish: 1 item @ 拢10,000 | 10,000 | ||
Blinds to foyer: 1 item @ 拢28,000 | 28,000 | ||
Merchandising/drink/info desk: 1 item @ 拢7,500 | 7,500 | ||
Gate to loading bay: 1 item @ 拢2,000 | 2,000 | ||
418,780 | |||
Specialist theatre equipment | 2,370,000 | 488.66 | |
Theatre equipment | 900,000 | ||
Production lighting | 300,000 | ||
Sound and communication | 500,000 | ||
Theatre seating: main space: 1,200 nr seats @ 拢300 | 360,000 | ||
Studio space: 150 nr seats @ 拢400 | 60,000 | ||
Orchestra pit lift - allowance: 1 item @ 拢125,000 | 125,000 | ||
Scenery lift: 1 nr @ 拢125,000 | 125,000 | ||
2,370,000 | |||
Lifts | 80,000 | 16.49 | 0.47% |
Front of house lift and enclosure: 1 nr @ 拢80,000 | 80,000 | ||
Mechanical installations | 1,516,050 | 312.59 | 8.85% |
Sanitaryware: 121 pieces plus 10 accessible WCs: 1 item @ 拢85,000 | 85,000 | ||
Rainwater installation: 4,850m2 @ 拢7 | 34,000 | ||
Soil, waste and vent installation: 4,850m2 @ 拢12 | 59,000 | ||
Hot and cold water services: 4,850m2 @ 拢30 | 145,500 | ||
Gas installation: 4,850m2 @ 拢3 | 14,550 | ||
Low pressure hot water system: 4,850m2 @ 拢50 | 242,500 | ||
Air handling unit: 1 item @ 拢90,000 | 90,000 | ||
Room ICT: 4 nr @ 拢6,000 | 24,000 | ||
Ventilation: 1 item @ 拢530,000 | 530,000 | ||
Smoke extract to stage areas and basement: 1 item @ 拢40,000 | 40,000 | ||
BMS/controls: 4,850m2 @ 拢40 | 194,000 | ||
Curtain drencher: 1 item @ 拢12,000 | 12,000 | ||
Automatic roof smoke vents to staircases: 5 nr @ 拢3,500 | 17,500 | ||
Testing and commissioning: 4,850m2 @ 拢6 | 28,000 | ||
1,516,050 | |||
Electrical installations | 1,667,000 | 343,71 | 9.73% |
Mains and sub-mains distribution: 4,850m2 @ 拢65 | 317,000 | ||
Small power installation: 4,850m2 @ 拢29 | 139,000 | ||
Power to mechanical services: 4,850m2 @ 拢12 | 56,000 | ||
Power to stage engineering: 1 item @ 拢12,000 | 12,000 | ||
Light fittings FOH: 2,850m2 @ 拢90 | 256,500 | ||
Light fittings BOH: 2,000m2 @ 拢50 | 100,000 | ||
Lighting wiring: 4,850m2 @ 拢30 | 145,500 | ||
Emergency lighting: 4,850m2 @ 拢20 | 97,000 | ||
Wiring for production lighting: 1 item @ 拢140,000 | 140,000 | ||
Earthing and bonding: 4,850m2 @ 拢4 | 17,000 | ||
Lightning protection: 4,850m2 @ 拢3 | 14,000 | ||
Fire detection and alarms: 4,850m2 @ 拢23 | 112,000 | ||
Sound/audio: 1 item @ 拢65,000 | 65,000 | ||
Voice and data: 1 item @ 拢30,000 | 30,000 | ||
Public address system: 4,850m2 @ 拢20 | 97,000 | ||
TV aerial system | 5,000 | ||
Disabled toilet alarms | 5,000 | ||
Disabled refuge system | 10,000 | ||
Induction loop to box office: 1 item @ 拢3,000 | 3,000 | ||
Access control, security detection | 20,000 | ||
CCTV containment and wiring: 1 item @ 拢6,000 | 6,000 | ||
Testing and commissioning | 20,000 | ||
1,667,000 | |||
Builders work in connection | 282,000 | 58.14 | 1.65% |
Allowance 5% | 282,000 | ||
Preliminaries | 3,561,000 | 734.23 | |
Testing and commissioning of building services installations: item @ 拢30,000 | 3,000 | ||
Management costs, site establishment and site supervision. Contractor鈥檚 preliminaries, overheads and profit @ 14.5% | 1,973,000 | ||
Allowance for design & construction reserve @ 10% | 1,558,000 | ||
Total construction cost - (including theatre equipment) | 17,135,000 | 3,530.00 | 100% |
(m2 rate based on GIFA) |
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