Heathfield School - Performing Arts Centre
This new Performing Arts Centre has been designed to accommodate the School’s increasing demands in music, drama and art education. It holds in its auditorium a seated audience of 280 and for school assemblies a standing audience of approximately 380. The facility also includes ancillary spaces, a drama studio, music teaching rehearsal and practice spaces, recording facilities, exhibition space and a meeting room.
The Performing Arts Centre is linked to the existing Sports Hall and uses the changing facilities as ‘green rooms’. There is also a link to the existing students’ residential accommodation. Part of the first floor has been remodelled to accommodate 6 individual music practice rooms designed to be acoustically insulated from the residential accommodation.
The selection of the site for the Performing Arts Centre was very carefully considered: together with the School’s Chapel, the curved front to the Performing Arts Centre forms a welcoming space, which can be used as an ‘ad hoc’ external exhibition, performance and gathering space.
The east elevation overlooks the School’s main sports and open grounds; the provision of large openable folding doors and balconies at 1st floor level along the Auditorium gallery also provides an opportunity for sport spectators to use this as a viewing gallery.