Project Summary
As one of only two ancient monuments in Hackney, visitors will be able to see the archaeological remains of Shakespeare’s Curtain Playhouse. Located three metres underground, guests will be able to look back to the year 1598 and a day in the life of William Shakespeare himself.
The Stage, is a new visitor experience built over the site of the Curtain Playhouse in Shoreditch. Conceptualised and developed by Bompas & Parr in collaboration with Cain International, Museum of London Archaeology and Historic England, celebrating London’s Curtain Playhouse, which was a cultural and social centre for the city during the life of Shakespeare.
Location
Shoreditch, London EC2
Project Duration
40 Weeks
Project Size
Approximately 800 m²
Client
C.J. O’Shea Ltd.
Our Solution
The bespoke 316 stainless steel wall cladding was manufactured using Lazer cut 3D ‘Waterwave college’ profiles finished in a champagne tin mirror nano inox and formed/fabricated in house with black PPC aluminium support framing fixed using stainless steel weld-studs to enable easy installation on site. The roof cladding panels were also manufactured from similar stainless products with variable sinusoidal profiles again finished in mirror nano inox and fixed to powder coated support frames using weld studs for the multi-angled roof. In addition to the main wall and roof further flat cladding, gutter covers and complex doors were also manufactured in house to match the other element of the façade and associated skirtings and trims were also made in aluminium and powder coated C31 Anolok to match a specialist anodised aluminium 541 finish wanted by the project Architect.
To discuss your requirements please call us on 02380 873455 or email: information@winhalllimited.co.uk
Insight
The Curtain Theatre first recorded as opening its doors in 1577 and located in Shoreditch, east London, an area that can lays claim to being the birthplace of modern theatre. Audiences flocked to the Curtain Theatre to enjoy theatrical performances and other entertainments until the 1620s, with a break in the late 16th century as plague gripped the capital.
William Shakespeare’s acting troupe, The Lord Chamberlain’s Men, used the Theatre as their base from 1597-1599. In that time, it is believed that Henry V debuted at the Curtain and that other famous plays were performed there, including Romeo and Juliet and Every Man in His Humour that starred Shakespeare himself. Records always pointed to the Curtain Theatre being close to modern-day Curtain Road in Shoreditch, east London. In 2011, archaeologists were undertaking exploratory excavation for The Stage Shoreditch when they came across the remains of the Theatre. This trial excavation only revealed a very small section of the Tudor building but an open-area excavation, which took place in spring 2016, allowed archaeologists to expose all of the surviving remains and study the Shakespearean playhouse in detail.
To discuss your requirements please call us on 02380 873455 or email: information@winhalllimited.co.uk
