The new extension to Coventry's Belgrade Theatre was opened in September of this year.  It was designed by the architectural practice, Stanton Williams, the firm behind Compton Verney, the refurbishment of the RSA, the Tower Environs Scheme at Tower Hill and several other major projects of recent years.

We have just published a review of the theatre in this week's Architects' Journal.  It's registration only site I'm afraid.  However, very briefly, we examined the theatre from the perspective of Stanton Williams' stated intention: to rejuvenate the Theatre as a public space, and revive its foundational remit of staging new and challenging theatre.

The finished extension certainly provides the starting point from which this can be achieved, but it also sets the Belgrade the potentially fruitful challenge of having to grow into its new space and reshape itself a as an institution for the people of Coventry.  New Artistic Director, Hamish Glen, will also have to temper the theatre's edginess with the community spirit that has driven its success in the past.  With the traditional Christmas pantomime coming up, the coming months will see the baptism of the new theatre and an examination of how it will settle into its environs.

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