ºÃÉ«ÏÈÉúTV

The architect working on the huge redevelopment of the Olympia exhibition venue has been asked by the same client to turn a cinema on London’s Shaftesbury Avenue into a new theatre.

Yoo Capital has appointed SPPARC to the job at 135 Shaftesbury Avenue with entertainment group Cirque du Soleil considering the site for its first permanent home in London.

The grade II-listed theatre – currently home to an Odeon cinema – first opened in 1931 with a capacity of 1,462 across three levels.

The venue has played host to dozens of acts over the years including the Beatles, Jimi Hendrix and Nirvana.

As well as a theatre, the revamped venue will also include a hotel run by citizenM and dining facilities.

Yoo said it has begun a consultation with local stakeholders ahead of a planning application being submitted to Camden council, although no timeframe for when an application will be made has been laid out.

Yoo’s Olympia scheme, designed by Heatherwick Studio and SPPARC, also includes a new theatre as well as a live music venue, 550,000 sq ft of offices, dozens of new bars and restaurants, four exhibition halls and two new hotels.

The scheme, which has a development value of £1.3bn, is due to open in 2025.

Earlier this month, ºÃÉ«ÏÈÉúTV revealed that main contractor on the £600m scheme Laing O’Rourke and Yoo were attempting to broker a deal over how much the final bill for a series of design changes on the job will be.