The pandemic hit the theatre industry hard, operating through the Covid restrictions became nigh on impossible. Many theatres took their productions online to keep operations running.

Arcola Theatre in the heart of London’s Dalston, went one step further creating Arcola Outside, a brand-new outdoor performance space built from reclaimed materials just off the theatre’s Ashwin Street home.

Arcola Outside is a 90-seater socially distanced performance space designed by multi-award-winning stage designer Jon Bausor. The new is 60 metres from the theatre’s main building on Ashwin Street.

We designed and engineered a bespoke tensile fabric roof that not only offered year-round protection from the weather, but also created a naturally ventilated covid – safe space for performances.

Although the intention is to use the original building again, Arcola Outside will initially relocate all the Arcola’s public functions al fresco. It will be a flexible, multi-purpose space, able to host live performances, screenings, installations and more.