Bringing Shakespeare’s first theatre back to life

We’ve just completed an intriguing project at ‘The Box’ on New Inn Broadway, London and it’s a project full of firsts!

The location is the site of ‘The Theatre’, Shakespeare’s first polygonal purpose-built theatre and precursor to The Globe. It’s also the site where Structura, specialist fabricator and installer of glass curtain walling, has combined it with Accoya wood panels.

Consisting of five floors of exhibition space and offices, the whole front façade has been supplied and installed by Structura. An open plan ground floor and basement features an exhibition run in conjunction with the Museum of London, with artefacts celebrating its place in history as the site of the original Shakespeare theatre. Architects Gallus Studio have also drawn on many Elizabethan references for this project from Juliet balconies to specifying the timber grid framings.

In order to test fully the innovative use of timber and glass, Structura had to build a rig for CWCT air, wind and impact tests. A series of experiments were then conducted using wind generated from an old Spitfire engine and wrecking ball impact.

Supplying everything from entrance doors, sliding doors and the entire façade, Structura worked closely throughout with main contactor 8Build. This is a stunning example of how architects, contractors and suppliers can come together to help realise a client’s dreams, helping to embrace the future while celebrating the past.