The new Performing Arts Centre, delivered on time and on budget, provides the College with a flexible, 370-seat courtyard theatre that responds to several different requirements - drama, dance, music theatre and musical performances.

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The tall volume of the auditorium follows the form of an adaptable courtyard theatre space providing accommodation for an audience arranged on two main tier levels with a third technical level giving access to the lighting bridges.

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The stage area has flying facilities including motorised winches and a hemp line system that allows for further expansion and enhancement in the future. The technical form and equipping of the auditorium was developed closely with theatre consultants, who also advised on the acoustic control and finishes in the auditorium.

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Theatre buildings are generally characterised by a distinct ‘front’ and ‘back’. At Hurst, the new PAC can be viewed from all directions and so the building’s composition is expressed with the central mass of the auditorium rising in the middle, with four columnar roof vents punctuating the roof ridge, and the ancillary spaces wrapped as a secondary layer around the outside.

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The fully glazed foyer space is designed to present an inviting aspect when seen from the main College buildings across the open green space.

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European timber, in the form of glulam beams and columns or cross-laminated timber floor and wall panels, was used as the main structural component. This has the benefit of a significant carbon reduction (176 tonnes of embodied C02) over conventional construction materials such as steel and concrete.

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The building is naturally ventilated. A slight slope on the site meant that a ‘cellar’ or under-croft could be built which cools fresh air coming into the building in the summer. Four chimney stacks on the roof allow warm stale air to exhaust to outside. 

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The theatre is predominantly clad in western red cedar boarding, and the thermal performance of the building envelope is excellent due to the high levels of insulation and air tightness.