01 DISCOVER
Develop
DIRECTION
All the latest development news on Chester’s brand new cultural CENTRE
Design
#StartOfSomethingBig
Chester’s new cultural centre will accommodate a world class library, a café/bar and a new 100-seat cinema screen at the heart of the building. To the west, a new extension will house the main 500/800-seat theatre and its support spaces, whilst a flexible studio theatre and its dedicated bar will sit on the roofline, with panoramic views over the city. The new, £37m centre opens at the end of 2016, with a home-produced Christmas show.
ISSUE 01: All the latest development news on Chester’s brand new cultural CENTRE
What was once… The Odeon was built more than 80 years ago as a 1600-seat ‘super cinema’. It was divided into multiple screens in the 1970s and finally closed in 2007. The brick exterior is typical of the time and has changed little since it opened in 1936, but interior alterations have meant that only a few areas still retain their Art Deco features. The historic nature of the site is further enhanced by the presence of ancient remains dating back to the Bronze Age, which were excavated during an archaeological dig which took place late in 2014.
The theatre will both produce its own work, and welcome the best national and international artists to the region.
IN NUMBERS
300 The Number Of tonnes of concrete poured to date (about a 1/3rd of total amount)
£16.9m The gross visitor and organisational expenditure per annum when the new centre opens.
The Theatre
9x9
The main 800-seat theatre space is designed to be large enough to present high-quality touring productions from September to May. It will then be transformed into an intimate 500-seat thrust-stage space to host a celebrated, homemade summer festival season of theatre, music and words produced locally in Chester. The intimate studio space has raked seating for 150 which can be quickly retracted to create a flat floor room which can be used for rehearsals or events.
The length in metreS and weight in tonnes of The beams which wilL span the stage house areas.
Bringing Cinema Back The project will bring cinema back to the heart of the Odeon. A new dedicated 100-seat cinema screen will offer film and live streamed events in a characterful and comfortable setting. The innovative provision of a large screen within the foyer space of the old Art Deco cinema auditorium will be used to relay films and events in an informal atmosphere.
800 The number of seats in the Main Theatre.
97% Percentage OF tickets CHESTER PERFORMS SOLD IN 2014 for their GROSVENOR PARK OPEN AIR THEATRE SUMMER SEASON.
A Library Space for All Located within the Odeon building, the library will be vibrant and innovative, embracing the latest technologies as well as providing a range of spaces from quiet study rooms to a bustling café and dedicated children’s library.
A new home for Chester Performs
of its type outside London. It sold 97% of its tickets in 2014 and will welcome around 26,000 customers over just 8 weeks in 2015.
Chester Performs is a diverse arts producer, running theatre and music ensembles, literature and young persons’ festivals and projects, outdoor film festivals, live and performance art. The company is an essential part of the landscape of Chester, and much of its work is reflective of shared cultural history and perspectives. Its theatre company, Grosvenor Park Open Air Theatre, founded in 2010, is the most successful
This company’s work will extend into the centre’s wonderful 500-seat thrust stage and studios forming a sizeable summer festival season of increasing national repute. As well as a new home for Chester Performs’ programme of theatre, music, literature and film, the new centre will stand as a major hub for exploration and discovery. It will be a place where new talent is nurtured and new cultural enterprise encouraged.
189 100 Number of People who Kier will Have on site by Summer 2015.
Number of seats in the dedicated cinema – offerING film and live streamed events in a characterful and comfortable setting.
Capital Project Update
photography Mark Carline
When moving here I was disappointed about the lack of a cinema – so I’m particularly looking forward to watching some independent films in the new centre. And also discussing them afterwards in the café. Esther Yow, Chester city centre resident
We’re really excited about the impact the new theatre will have on the area, not just on our business but on the Northgate area as a whole. The entire night-time offer should be revolutionised and hopefully lead to a new demand for pre- and post-theatre dining. This should also help to create a more vibrant, culturally developed city centre – one we’re very much looking forward to being part of! Ben Wright, Owner Joseph Benjamin restaurant, Northgate Street
I think it is marvellous – we’ve not had a theatre or cinema for so long. I think visiting the new centre will be a really good experience. It will be great to not have to travel to Liverpool or Manchester. The thing to remember is that disruption is inevitable in projects of this scale; you just have to ride it out and think about the bigger picture. Terry Kearney, Ellesmere Port resident
The entire pre-build consultation period between the design team and local residents was handled very professionally and with utmost consideration. Community engagement is already at the heart of the project. It’s a very exciting time for Chester. Faye Mustill, Chairman King Street Area Residents’ Association
70% of the internal demolition is complete inside the Odeon. Soon a beam, which spans the entire width of the building and is approximately 20 metres in length, will be removed.
est Wall of Odeon being demolished, making W way for the new part of the building to connect with the old
300 tonnes of concrete has been poured to date (about a 1/3rd of total amount). By midsummer 1000 tonnes of steel will have been delivered to the site – including the beams which will span the stage house areas ... each will be 9 metres in length and weigh 9 tonnes.
a considerable amount of work has been done to calculate and evaluate the impact of its removal on the existing Odeon.
A sophisticated temporary propping system will ensure the structural integrity of the building is maintained.
The new basement areas have now been formed in what has been described as one of the biggest holes that has ever been dug in Chester – according to a local archaeologist it seems we were down to the Triassic Period ... we are looking out for the dinosaurs!
This is a significant milestone which is not without risk – as it ties the whole building together. Prior to its removal,
As the summer progresses Kier will have up to 189 staff and operatives on site – who will all be adding to the local economy.
Artefacts dating back to the Bronze Age were unearthed during an archaeological dig at the site of Chester’s brand new cultural centre. Before any building work could commence archaeologists from Cheshire West and Chester Council and Earthworks Archaeology, in close consultation with English Heritage, uncovered vital information about Chester’s Roman military occupation. The archaeologists were ably assisted by enthusiastic volunteers who welcomed the opportunity to get involved in the dig and experience the thrill of finding artefacts that have not seen the light of day for almost two thousand years. Hidden beneath the basement floor of Commerce House, the cobbles and pebbles of an important Roman road were revealed. Stone-lined roadside drains and intriguing glimpses of mysterious side alleys between the remains of Roman buildings have added to the story of Chester’s Roman history. Rubbish pits offer a good source of information about the past and many, from the Roman period through to the 18th century, have been excavated. Little is known of this part of the Roman fortress. Although the remains were in poor condition and only survived in pockets, the information from the dig will help answer questions about the function and development of the Roman buildings that once stood here. Amongst the finds were an arrowhead dating back to the Bronze Age, ceramic building materials, Roman moulddecorated bowls called ‘Samian ware’, imported from Gaul (modern France), a 17th century chamber pot, found intact in a rubbish pit (the archaeologists have revealed some of its contents were still intact!). Also amongst the discoveries a 19th century clay tobacco pipe which shows the design of the fleur-de-lis (or Prince of Wales feathers), recovered from a backfilled basement.
Volunteer Jeff Banham who made the exciting discovery of an intact 17th century yellow ware jar, probably used for ointment
Part of a rim from a Roman mixing bowl called a mortarium. Made in the West Midlands and decorated on the outside with red paint
ISSUE 01: All the latest development news on Chester’s brand new cultural CENTRE
Interview
Community News Kier recently visited the University Cathedral Free School (located opposite the site) to deliver a construction site safety presentation with their safety characters (pictured) Kieran, Kiera and considerate constructor character, Ivor Goodsite. Key Stage 1 and 2 pupils were then invited to draw their favourite pantomime character or site vehicle.
Meet Graham Lister, Project Director, Graham Lister is the Director for the project and has worked on the development of a number of cultural projects across the UK, including Leicester’s award winning Curve theatre, Doncaster’s new performing arts centre CAST and Bangor University’s Arts and Innovation Centre.
More than 80 pupils entered the competition and their artwork can be seen displayed on the site hoardings in Northgate Street.
He has a richly diverse range of producing theatre experience both in the UK and abroad. Work includes West-End musicals, large-scale arena productions in Japan and Australia and ten years with the multi-award winning English Shakespeare Company. He has recently produced a new play based on the life of President Obama’s Nairobi based half-brother (Obama the Mamba) which is due to transfer to London later this year.
To find out more about Kier’s community projects visit www.kier.co.uk
Local Update! A recent strategy has been agreed with all ’s partners which involves the temporary closure of Hunter Street (road running parallel to the cultural centre) on Tuesdays and Thursdays between 10am and 3pm; this is to ensure important deliveries can be made to the site. To find out more visit www.renewchester.co.uk/news
We asked Graham how it feels to be leading one of the most important projects in Chester’s future. It’s a great privilege as these projects don’t come along very often! And of course it's thrilling as well as at times, scary. The project is extremely high profile, which is great until things don’t quite go as planned. What first attracted you to the project? For me it was an opportunity to collaborate with Cheshire West and Chester Council and Chester Performs to help shape a new cultural opportunity for Chester and the Borough. It also has a scale of ambition which is impressive, given the current economic constraints. You’ve been involved with many cultural building projects: is Chester special? I guess Chester is striking for a number of reasons to do with its community support and the opportunity to re-imagine a cultural offer based around the re-purposing of a much loved iconic building. And one that is financially underpinned by a significant local authority investment, as well as funding from Arts Council England and sponsorship from our local Principle Sponsors MBNA and others. What are the main challenges of the project? Budget, programme and quality – these are always the major challenges for projects such as ours and all three are interdependent. Basically our challenge is to build it on time, on budget and to a consistently high quality. No small task! How will you know if the project has been successful? For me it's about doing what we said we were going to do. And that’s to create a high quality building, one that attracts both local and international artists, is used by all members of the community and beyond and has a unique 21st century operating model blending literature, film and live performance.
3RD JULY – 23RD AUGUST 2015
What are you most looking forward to seeing realised? Transforming the 800 seat proscenium arch theatre into a wonderfully intimate 500 seat venue where audiences will be wrapped around the stage areas.
Grosvenor Park, Chester, CH1 1QQ BOOK NOW: www.grosvenorpark.co.uk | 0845 241 7868 THE DAILY TELEGRAPH
If you want to find out more and get involved visit:
www.renewchester.co.uk facebook/renewchester @renewchester #StartOfSomethingBig
THE GUARDIAN
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