The Bridge, London’s first new commercial theatre of scale to be built for 40 years, occupies an extraordinary site between City Hall and Tower Bridge, its lobby looking out over the river to the Tower of London. In a conscious move away from London’s traditional West End theatre district, the Bridge has been designed to provide new levels of adaptability and theatrical possibility compared with the historic proscenium houses that comprise most of London’s non-subsidised venues. The theatre forms part of the ground floor frontage of a new residential development, activating the public realm and providing a catalyst for neighbouring restaurants and cafes.

The aim of the Bridge Theatre was to make a large capacity auditorium, fitting within the spatial constraints of the building and providing the quality of experience, intimacy and stage flexibility typical of a lower capacity auditorium. The riverside location was extraordinary but the 10m total headroom of the space was not overly generous, demanding a compressed structural design for increased theatrical density and intensity.

This innovative auditorium is supported by the high, brightly daylit timber-lined foyer space, looking directly over the panorama of London’s north bank, which has been designed to be both intimate and generous; whether absorbing 1100 audience members or welcoming 25 morning coffee drinkers. Served by a single long bar, the foyer functions as a friendly public congregation space.