Austin-Smith:Lord was appointed by Birmingham Royal Ballet as architect, interior designer and design team leader for the refurbishment of the Birmingham Royal Ballet building. The aspirations were to create a world-class centre of excellence as a dance rehearsal facility to support the wide range of additional activities expected of a modern arts organisation.

The refurbishment included the upgrade of two existing ballet rehearsal studios and the creation of an informal performance venue for audiences of up to 100 people. This was done within the existing footprint of the two other rehearsal rooms. We also carried out a complete replacement of current facilities for dancers’ changing, welfare and rest areas as well as existing administration offices.

The reception and main access into the building has also been addressed and improved.

This project has improved the working environment for dancers and admin staff, and has eradicated existing accessibility difficulties inherent in the existing building.

There has also been significant upgrade and replacement of existing heating, ventilation and lighting systems bringing the building in line with 21st Century performance and energy use standards.

Corporate branding and signage has also been enhanced.

A-S:L produced a fine design for the studio and administration home of Birmingham Royal Ballet. The building required a major overhaul after 25 years of busy use and needed to be brought into the 21st Century. For the sum of £2.7M A-S:L created state of the art dance facilities within the existing building resolving historic ‘navigation’ issues and making the building accessible and open to external users. Significantly, the design was created with sustainability high on the agenda, both in terms of environment and future business needs. The design involved a major technical upgrade to provide the most efficient use of digital equipment to aid teaching and archiving. The net result is a beautiful and inspiring studio building that will set the standard for decades to come.

Christopher Barron – Chief Executive, Birmingham Royal Ballet