Grange Park Opera House
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There are two levels of boxes. The new soffit is fibre optic-lit while the existing ceiling is netted
Contemporary opera house in an original Greek Revival building from 1673
Grange Park Opera House at Northington in Hampshire comes to life for a brief season each summer within the romantic surrounds of a Greek Revival mansion with a distinguished architectural history.
The original building, built in 1673 by William Samwell, has seen a number of changes over the generations. The latest renovation has seen it transformed into an opera venue comprising a 500-seat traditional horseshoe auditorium with additional facilities.
The horseshoe layout intensifies contact with the stage, whilst blockwork walls supporting the floor slab and seating create an underfloor labyrinth 150m-long, which, with the aid of two fans and pre-existing openings low in the south wall, provide near-free cooling via air outlet slots beneath the seating.
The stage block is oak boarded above a 2m-high base of knapped flints edged in red brick, whilst the new facade is largely render on brick, as was the house in its time.
Data
- Completed: 2003
- Floor area: 1,421m2
- Sector: Arts and culture
- Total cost: £2M
- Address: Grange Park Opera, 24 Broad Street, Alresford, SO24 9AQ, United Kingdom
Professional Team 
- Architect: Studio E Architects
- Client: Grange Park Opera
- Structural engineer: Arup
- Ventilation: Max Fordham
- Conservation Architect: John Redmill
- Construction Consultant: Stuart McGee
- Main contractor: RJ Smith and Co
- Mechanical and Electrical Engineer: RS Birch
- Stage Lighting Consultant: Stage Electrics
- Planning consultant: Nathan Lichfield and Partners
- Archaeological consultant: CKC Archaeology
- Acoustic consultant: Colin Beak
- Planning supervisor: WSP Group
- Site Survey: Glanville Consulatants
Suppliers
- Architectural steelwork: Alresford Steelwork
- Structural steel: Corus
- Structural frame: Littlehampton Welding
- Green roof insulation: Blackdown Horticultural Consultants
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