ROYAL OPERA HOUSE
project, compared with others I’ve worked on,
is we’ve barely built any new space at all,” says
Younger. “That means you’ve got to somehow
keep 2,500 people going to the theater every
night who have coats to store, who want a drink
and want to use the restrooms. The audience has
paid for a special night out; you’ve got to make
sure you keep delivering that. In addition, the
building already felt under pressure, and then
you’re ratcheting it up. It’s not just about the
performances; it’s about the rehearsal spaces,
offices and so on; you’ve got singers with very
delicate voices and dancers who can’t get cold.”
During the first year, Younger spent about
50% of her time on the normal planning and
design development side, and the other 50%
working with stakeholders on how to keep the
building functional. Enabling works began in
October 2015. The first change was to move the
restrooms, enabling the cloakroom to be pushed
back, which created more space in the foyer.
Moving scenery
Younger persuaded the opera house to invest
a fair amount into hoardings. “Our hoardings
were decorated very beautifully, and moved
around a lot to give the audience the most space
we could at all times,” she says. “We spent a lot
of time planning restroom and cloakroom
AUDITORIA 2019 VOLUME ONE 21