George Wood Theatre

We advised on acoustic design for the renovation of the 200-seat George Wood Theatre located in the former Grade II listed chapel of Goldsmiths, University of London.

The project included removing the 1960s false ceiling, control room and seating to restore the full height of the chapel and expose the historic ceiling. Two new studios, a black box and a white studio, have been inserted stacked on top of each other into the volume previously occupied by the fly tower. These are wedged between the theatre and other rehearsal and teaching facilities.

The main challenge was to achieve a high degree of sound separation. Together with the user requirements, the historical and volumetric constraints led to a much higher density of noisy and noise-sensitive spaces. Our acousticians and the design team integrated highly efficient noise and vibration attenuation measures in a confined space. The theatre acoustics relied on sound-absorbing curtains that led to a room with a flexible reverberation time where the internal acoustics can be changed to cater to different types of performances and not just traditional drama.