Rider Levett Bucknall Sets Out Its Stall With £20m Theatre Win

Regeneration experts Rider Levett Bucknall has won a chorus of approval to play a role in the redevelopment of Canterbury's Marlowe Theatre.

It is a £20m project that will see a major part of the site demolished and replaced with a state-of-the-art theatre with increased seating capacity, new catering facilities and a second performance area.

Marlowe Theatre has been housed in a 1930s cinema for more than two decades, but in recent years it has outgrown the site which now fails to comply with today's compliance requirements.

The main theatre will have a new auditorium and an additional 300 seats, while a second theatre will hold around 150 people. The architect Keith Williams has promised a "world-class" building that will enhance the skyline of Canterbury.

The London of Rider Levett Bucknall has been appointed by Canterbury City Council to provide quantity surveying and CDM services on the project. Work on the refurbishment is already underway and is expected to complete in April 2010.

Alan Trott, Associate at the London office of Rider Levett Bucknall, says the contract is testament to the practice's unrivalled reputation in the refurbishment of arts buildings.

He adds: "It is a prestigious win which enhances and reflects the expertise we have in our arts and heritage division.

"The new theatre will be a beacon for Kent entertainment and a centre of excellence for performing arts in the region."