The UK鈥檚 first purpose-built children鈥檚 theatre opens this week behind City Hall on London鈥檚 South Bank.

For the 拢14m Unicorn Theatre, Keith Williams Architects set out to make 鈥渁 grown-up building for children鈥, where they can feel independent and be treated like adults. In the main 340-seat auditorium, raised above the entrance foyer to save space, the stage thrusts out into a double-decker amphitheatre of seating. 鈥淭here is no division between actors and audience,鈥 says Tony Graham, artistic director. 鈥淚t is one space that allows the magic of theatre.鈥 It was built by Mansell Construction Services with Theatre Project Consultants and Charcoal Blue as theatre consultants, Arup as structural and services and acoustician, Buro Happold as access consultant and Bucknall Austin as cost consultant.