Key Theatre

Peterborough’s Key Theatre was built in 1973, and it showed, with tinted glass and a cramped entrance. Spacelab’s job was to put it back on the map with a dramatic reconfiguration that would once again make it a welcoming building, and a cultural landmark. This involved rebuilding the front of the theatre, and extending it, with a new restaurant and bar inside, and a new entrance, lift and stairs to enable a smoother circulation of people.

Being a cultural venue, it was also important that the building had a sense of spectacle, so we wrapped it in a two-storey glazed façade. As well as letting those inside look out – offering views of the River Nene – it also lets those outside look in, so at night, the building becomes its own kind of theatre.