Museum Theatre and Learning Space, East Sussex

Client: The Bright Foundation 

Location: Westfield, East Sussex

Architect's team: Anaëlle Regent, Irene D’Aurelio D’Arpino

Structural Engineer: Ellis and Moore

Cost Consultant: Northgates

Phase 1 Area: 450 sqm

Phase 1 Construction Cost: £1.1M

Phase 1 Completion: 2021

​Phase 2 Area: 150 sqm

Phase 2 Construction Cost: £700,000

Phase 2 Completion: ongoing

 

Oscar award-winning costume designer plans to build children’s museum and puppet theatre, The Stage, 03.10.19

Curtain-up on plans to convert farm into puppet theatre and museum, Building Design, 05.09.19

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The Bright Foundation appointed NCA to convert and extend existing farm outbuildings to create a Toy Museum and a Puppet Theatre. 

 

Phase 1 of the project accommodates an extensive private collection of toys, puppets, dolls houses and miniature theatres within ex farm buildings in the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The design proposes a playful accumulation of dual pitch roofs preserving the agricultural character of the existing structures. One of the new barns will offers a modular space to host performances as well as teaching spaces for toy-making workshops. The primary circulation route makes a virtue of a succession of ramps to allow full access throughout the sloping site.

 

Phase 2 is to construct a new creative learning space with outdoor teaching area. The learning space links via a generous verandah to a sensory garden.

This timber frame, timber clad building will respect traditional construction within the AONB while also building to exemplary environmental standards with exceptionally low embodied carbon content and minimal energy in use.