Pioneering £8.6m regeneration of the Horniman Museum and Gardens in Forest Hill, south-east London, designed to highlight the climate emergency.

Skelly & Couch has worked closely with developer Vastint UK and architects Citizens Design Bureau to deliver The Talent House, a new home for both East London Dance and music organisation UD at Sugar House Island, Stratford.

An Exceptional Theatre Transformation for Multi-award-winning Production.

London’s Grade II-listed Playhouse Theatre was reconfigured from a proscenium-arch auditorium into a spectacular in-the-round venue, with additional rooms in the upper circle level. Completed in record time for the multi-award-winning Cabaret, it recreated the Kit Kat Club's intimate atmosphere, transporting audiences to 1930s Berlin.

The project involved securing listed building consent, obtaining planning approval, and reconfiguring the entire auditorium—all within 9 months. Navigating the existing services and live safety systems within the limited timeframe was challenging. Engineering judgement was crucial for discerning and prioritising key requirements, addressing critical issues, and ensuring successful project completion while meeting regulatory compliance.

Listed original ductwork, a rare feature, required detailed surveying to effectively reuse it. All other services were adapted or renewed and located in the basement.

In a theatre-in-the-round, the audience surrounds the stage, creating an immersive and dynamic experience. This configuration demands inventive staging for clear views from all seats, impacting infrastructure and service distribution. New raked seating led to changes in the lighting and validation of the existing ventilation and smoke ventilation systems.

LED lighting replaced halogen bulbs throughout. Ventilation and cooling in the basement dressing rooms and bar were upgraded to a new MVHR system with occupancy controls, replacing a continuously operational system. These interventions significantly reduced energy consumption.

A new entrance corridor, designed to evoke a night club atmosphere, required attention to health and safety, including concealing valves and pipework.

The transformation and exceptional turnaround at the Playhouse Theatre, stands as a testament to the team's dedication and spirit. This effort culminated in the production of Cabaret, winning no fewer than seven Olivier Awards in 2022.

‘Eddie Redmayne may be the star — and he’s mesmerisingly good too — but he really shares top billing with the venue itself.’
Clive Davis, The Times

Nominated for Theatre Building of the Year in The Stage Awards 2023. 

2023 Civic Trust Award Winner (Pro-Tem Award).* Civic Trust Pro-Tem Awards recognise temporary structures and installations that make an outstanding contribution to the quality and appearance of the built environment.

2023 RIBA London Architecture Award Winner. The RIBA judges commented: "The Kit Kat Club is a great example of how critical, light-touch interventions can transform an existing building. The key aspect of sustainability was in relation to the consideration given to the demountability of the new interventions. In addition, materials were salvaged and reused where possible, including the timber for the main set from original flooring, as well as some of the loose furniture." See the full citation: https://www.ribaj.com/buildings/regional-awards-2023-london-north-carmody-groarke-kit-kat-club-playhouse-theatre-culture-entertainment

2023 RIBA National Award Winner.

The two-part project is a redevelopment of back-of-house spaces followed by a new-build six-storey extension to the rear of the world-famous Grade II*-listed theatre in London’s Waterloo.

The Grade I-listed Theatre Royal Drury Lane, owned and managed by Andrew Lloyd Webber’s LW Theatres and built originally in 1812, is set to regain its status as the prime venue for musical theatre in London. 

New creative and exhibition space for Life Science Centre in Newcastle.

Winner of Regional Theatre of the Year at The Stage 2021 Awards, Grade II-listed Theatr Clwyd is one of Wales’ major cultural assets and is undergoing a ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ £35m redevelopment.

Skelly & Couch provided full environmental M&E on the David Brownlow Theatre in the grounds of Horris Hill prep school in rural Berkshire.

The £5m Special Exhibitions Gallery combines grand industrial beauty and stunning sustainable design as part of a masterplan to restore and renovate a Grade I-listed railway station, warehouse and Grade II-listed railway viaduct.

Known as The Lighthouse, the refurbishment and expansion of Holy Trinity Church Swiss Cottage aims to develop a multi-use community beacon on north London’s busy Finchley Road.