Brewery Arts Centre, Kendal

R G PARKINS & PARTNERS LTD

Meadowside Shap Road Kendal Cumbria LA9 6NY

Tel: (01539) 729393 Fax: (01539) 740609 Email: mail@rgparkins.com

Also at: 97 King Street Lancaster LA1 1RH Tel: (01524) 32548 Fax: (01524) 843998

www. rgpa rk ins .com

Client The Brewery Arts Centre

Principal Contractor Turner Construction

Consulting Engineers R G Parkins & Partners Ltd

Architect Rob Tarbuck

M&E Consulting Engineers John Book

Contract Value £2.7 million

R G Parkins & Partners Ltd has had a long-standing association with the Brewery Arts Centre. In 1991, the (then) existing theatre, which was housed in a former Warehouse, was re-built over the adjacent courtyard, and incorporated the conversion of an existing storage building into linked offices.

R G Parkins & Partners Ltd were responsible for the design of the feature trussed roof structure, which incorporated lighting gantries and scenery support rails, the reinforced concrete tiered seating, which incorporated a new theatre bar below, an extensive stage and backstage area, foundations to the new structures incorporating an access tunnel, along with structural modifications and extensions to the basement area, incorporating new changing rooms.

In 1998, construction commenced on a lottery funded Cinema extension and refurbishment of the existing four storey Arts Centre, housed in the former brewery building.

Phase 1 involved the construction of numerous extensions and major modifications to the building, including a revised and extended bar, restaurant and kitchen areas, new toilet areas, a new lift shaft, refurbishment and revised layouts to workrooms, meeting rooms and exhibition galleries. A major element involved changes to the ‘Malt Room’, and required the installation of an underground stage

extension, as well as the removal of numerous stone pillars and steel posts to improve visibility and movement.

Phase 2 involved the construction of a two screen cinema, being an 11m high building, and incorporating an 8m high retaining wall, supporting the natural hillside and thereby reducing the visual impact of the building. As part of the Design Team, R G Parkins & Partners Ltd were heavily involved in the choice of construction materials and techniques, which resulted in the use of significant areas of reinforced concrete walls and floors, along with steelwork supporting beams and roof frames. Timber was used extensively in the deep, sloping roof structure, as well as the linking bridge, which connects the two buildings.

The construction also involved extensive external works and landscaping, which required retaining walls and a drainage scheme serving a restricted site. R G Parkins & Partners Ltd were also responsible for the design of these elements.

The completed upper Auditorium seats 192 people, with 115 viewers being seated in the lower auditorium.

BREWERY ARTS CENTRE, KENDAL