Omnibus

In close liaison Omnibus Theatre the practice developed plans to:

1. Significantly improve the current theatre, rehearsal and front of house facilities to enable them to create even better cultural offerings and give them ways of improving their income potential. This was done with the help of Anne Minors and Bob Essert of AMPC and Sound Space Vision, the much respected theatre consultant and acoustic engineer.

2. Maximise the potential of the site as whole with a commercial development at the rear of the theatre for serviced Office space that could be developed jointly with Lambeth, together with and managed by a successful local developer, Christopher Whalley. Our study showed that the development could be of considerable commercial benefit, not just to Omnibus but also to Lambeth and Christopher Whalley.
The plans were developed following a series of meetings that established a brief for the theatre improvements and subsequently a number of options were tested and refined, resulting in the current plans and massing studies. This was done in parallel to the exploration of the commercial potential for the site adjacent such that the two proposals could work together. The necessity to keep the Theatre operational during the construction period is illustrated in the phasing diagrams.

Marks Barfield Architects and Sound Space Vision were delighted to have been asked by Omnibus to help realise the next stage of Omnibus’s development and give it a sustainable future through the office development. We are enthusiastic supporters of Omnibus, are excited by the project and have agreed to assist you pro-bono in these early stages, creating preliminary drawings in support of a business plan and fund raising activities.