London-based design studio Haworth Tompkins recently completed Backstage at The Old Vic, a major new extension to one of London’s most treasured and historic theaters. Designed as a vibrant civic space and an example of sustainable and inclusive architecture, Backstage marks the beginning of the next chapter in the 200-year story of this iconic cultural landmark.

Built on a prominent site at the crossing of Waterloo Road, The Cut and Baylis Road, The Old Vic has stood since 1816 as a beacon of creativity and community. With Backstage, the theater expands its reach and reaffirms its mission: to invigorate, inspire and open doors through a world-class theatre for all.

Cafe and bar © Philip Vile

The new Backstage building is a welcoming destination for the local community and a much-needed expansion of the theater’s working and engagement spaces. It includes a triple-height café and bar, a script library, a dedicated Writers’ Room, a new green room, a Clore Learning Centre, the conversion of the rehearsal room into a more flexible studio space, and an event space with a dedicated roof terrace.

For the first time in The Old Vic’s 200-year history, the stage door and back-of-house areas are now fully accessible. The new Backstage building introduces step-free connections across all floors; accessible dressing rooms and rehearsal studios; an inclusive green room; and a rooftop terrace designed for all visitors, including wheelchair users to enjoy panoramic views of the London skyline.

The extension is the result of a decade of detailed conversations, collaboration, consultation and careful construction. The result is a building colorful and convivial, a space that can host the Old Vic’s extraordinary outreach program, and where guests can feel at home any time of the day. It is conceived as a place for creativity, learning and for the community to come together with the new extension supporting every part of the theater’s life, from writing and rehearsal to education, outreach and performance.

Clore Learning Studio © Philip Vile

Sustainability is at the heart of the building’s ethos. By prioritizing the use of recycled materials, a low embodied carbon structure and passive energy systems with a forward-looking building, the extension was designed and constructed for all, serving artists, audiences and the community for generations to come.

The structure is primarily composed of low-embodied-carbon European spruce glulam timber and solid timber floors, engineered for disassembly and reuse at the end of life. Recycled materials are used throughout, from salvaged brickwork to the façade’s perforated screens and louvers to shut out the bright sun. Natural ventilation, air source heat pumps and passive cooling strategies dramatically reduce operational energy demand. Together, these strategies deliver a model of low-carbon construction reflecting The Old Vic’s environmental ambition.

Bar © Philip Vile

The remodel was completed over a 12-month period, with the new-build Backstage extension constructed over a 22-month period. The result is a finely detailed, deeply collaborative project that continues Haworth Tompkins’ long-standing exploration of how architecture can support the cultural and civic life of London.