We want to ‘open up’ the Royal Opera House, with our building physically embodying our core values of creativity, excellence and inclusivity.
There will be no changes made to the main stage which will be open throughout the works, with the performance schedule operating as normal.
- Within the building we want circulation and way-finding to be easy and intuitive, so that visitors can see clearly what is available in all parts of the building and how to get there
- We will enlarge and open up the main foyer at ground level to create a better experience for everyone
- A redesign of the Linbury Studio Theatre is proposed to provide it with a distinct ‘character’ and improved audience and technical facilities
- We will glaze part of the terrace at Amphitheatre level which will create additional seating covers for the restaurant and engagement with the Covent Garden Piazza below
- We will refurbish the Clore Studio
- We will create a new staircase directly linking both the main foyer to the Paul Hamlyn Hall and the escalator to the Amphitheatre level
- The new staircase will be screened from the Paul Hamlyn Hall to allow day long public access to the Amphitheatre level
- An extension on Bow Street is proposed to enlarge the ground floor foyer, creating a new external terrace for the Paul Hamlyn Hall and creating a strong visual connection between the Linbury foyer and the main ground floor foyer
- We will be creating a new entrance and glazing the Bow Street façade to give the Royal Opera House an enhanced street presence and bring daylight into the foyer.
Project team
Project Office
- Sarah Younger (Project Director)
- Belinda Cameron (Programme Manager)
- Harriet Pridmore (Project Co-ordinator)
- Tony Wilson (External Project Manager)
- Heidi Weeks (External Project Manager)
- Lynn Oldfield (Project Accountant)
Design Team
- All Clear Designs (Access Consultants)
- Arup (Services Engineers)
- Charcoalblue (Theatre Consultant)
- Equals Consulting (Project Management Consultants)
- Gardiner & Theobald (Cost Consultant)
- Gerald Eve (Planning Consultant)
- Kendrick Hobbs (Catering Consultant)
- Robert Bird Group (Structural Engineers)
- Studio Fractal (Lighting Consultant)
- Stanton Williams (Architect)
- John Morgan Studio
Construction Managers
Open Up Advisory Committee
- Chair: Sir Stuart Lipton
- Alex Beard (CEO), Sir David Clementi, Dr Genevieve Davies, Sir Nicholas Hytner, Paul Morrell OBE
Open Up Project Board
- Chair: Sally O’Neill (COO)
- Heather Walker (Project Director, Visitor Experience)
- Jillian Barker (Director of Learning & Participation)
- Belinda Cameron (Open Up Programme Manager)
- Mindy Kilby (Director of Finance)
- Hazel Province (Director of Planning)
- Amanda Saunders (Director of Development)
- Lucy Sinclair (Director of Audiences and Media)
- Sarah Younger (Open Up Project Director)
Open Up Finance and Procurement Board
- Chair: Mindy Kilby (Director of Finance)
- Jonathan Deans (Cost Consultant), Sally O’Neill (COO), Tony Wilson (External Project Manager), Sarah Younger (Open Up Project Director)
- Lynn Oldfield (Project Accountant)