Loughton Contracts were appointed by Gardiner & Theobald in October 2019, to supply and install all floor coverings to the historic Theatre Royal, London.
The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, commonly known as Drury Lane, is a West End theatre and Grade I listed building in London’s Covent Garden. The theatre has been a site for entertainment since 1663 and is the world’s oldest theatre site in continuous use.
On this project, attention to detail was critical. Numerous site visits were carried out to survey every aspect of our installations. Every floor accessory required was meticulously measured, including the hundreds of steps, door thresholds, edge trims, disabled seating areas and floor hatches across the project. All the accessories, including some bespoke trims, were supplied by leading manufacturer C.A.T.
During the installation over 900 linear metres of Antique Brass Trims, Polished Brass Trims, and Solid 16mm stair Rods were fitted by our specialist installers to complement the bespoke broadloom carpet in the viewing galleries and circulation spaces.
In addition to the stylish red feature broadloom carpet manufactured by Alarwool, we also installed Altro vinyl sheet, Shaw carpet tiles and Jaymart rubber to a variety of back of house areas.
The Piano and Royal Ante rooms were fitted with bespoke rugs by Luke Irwin with each one being individually hand-made for this project.
We faced numerous challenges throughout the duration of this project. Integrating modern materials and processes to achieve the expected result from the client was always a considered priority. The theatre is a historic venue, so the materials and processes that we implemented were of the highest and most modern edition, however, we needed to ensure this did not detract from the buildings irreplaceable charm and character.
Distribution of materials was incredibly challenging, due to confined areas. Being an already built building, it wasn’t your average building site. Spaces were very limited at times, and distributing materials required more strategy than a usual job.
“Acquiring Theatre Royal Drury Lane in 2000 enabled Andrew Lloyd Webber to combine his love of musical theatre with a deep interest in architecture in 2019. Alongside his wife Madeleine, this ambitious project sought to bring to life the building’s history, and it was important for us to keep the traditional feel of the venue.
Loughton Contracts were brought in to install new flooring across the venue which was in keeping with the rich and colourful character of the Grade I Regency building and we are extremely pleased with their work. In particular, the red broadloom carpet which was installed throughout the main auditorium and walkways has played a key part in restoring the venue to its former glory.”
Theatre Royal
