2012 has bought a fresh new look and feel to the cinemas at the Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA), the home of the British avant-garde. Between Christmas and New Year, multi award-winning theatre consultancy Charcoalblue ensured that the cinemas were completely transformed and ready to host the 9th London Short Film Festival.

The project brief for Charcoalblue was to design, schedule and manage a comprehensive refurbishment of the main ICA cinemas. The challenge was to ensure it could happen in the short break between Christmas and New Year.

Following the design and specification by Charcoalblue of all of the necessary elements, 285 seats were stripped out of the cinemas and removed from site on the 26th December; step-lights, carpets and wall coverings were removed on the 27th; on the 28th and 29th the floor structure was modified to increase the provision of fully accessible audience spaces; the 30th December, 2nd and 3rd January saw the addition of induction loop facilities to both spaces and the walls and floors carpeted; and the 4th and 5th January saw the new seats installed together with an sound system specifically designed to support presentations given in Screen 1.

Charcoalblue project-managed the entire refurbishment, making sure that deadlines were met and quality maintained throughout the very short installation period. “Over the years, the ICA Cinema has gained a reputation as a cinematic gem hidden in the heart of London,” says Paul Crosbie, Senior Project Manager for Charcoalblue. “The ICA has continued to offer film-lovers an eclectic mix of works from around the world and as a result the core audience has grown and become increasing fond of the cinema. The brief was somewhat unusual in that accessibility, comfort and appearance were to be addressed but the mood and feel of the spaces was to remain unchanged. The programme was more challenging than is usual for this type of work, but thanks to the efforts of a wonderful team of suppliers and subcontractors, who were willing to put in the hours over the holiday period, we were able to turn this one around to the Client’s satisfaction.”

The cinemas reopened to the public on 6th January with a showcase of the best in new UK cinematic talent, combining new short films, retrospective screenings, and industry events. Karen Turner, Managing Director of the ICA, is delighted: “Hurrah! What a start to the New Year!”

The ICA works are the latest in a string of high-profile projects for Charcoalblue. In 2011, the company completed the brand new Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury and the restoration of the Newcastle Theatre Royal, as well as overseeing the replacement of much of the flying system at the National Theatre’s Olivier Theatre (without ever closing the venue).

2012 looks set to be an equally exciting year of benchmark projects for the company: designs for the refurbishments of the National’s Cottesloe Theatre and the Chichester Festival Theatre are nearing completion; construction work is well underway on Liverpool’s Everyman Theatre and a new Performance Venue in Doncaster; and the reopening of both the London Hippodrome and Bristol Old Vic theatre are due later in the year.