The Brindley
{{Short description|Arts centre in Runcorn, Cheshire, England}}
{{for|the Cheshire village of the same name|Brindley}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2019}}
{{Infobox venue
| name = The Brindley
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| image = Brindley Arts Centre, Runcorn.jpg
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| caption = Exterior view of the entrance to The Brindley
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| address = High Street, Runcorn WA7 1BG
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| coordinates = {{Coord|53.3406|-2.7315|type:landmark_region:GB-HAL|display=inline,title}}
| type = Theatre
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| opened = {{Start date and age|2004|09|df=yes}}
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| owner = Halton Borough Council
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| architect = John Miller and Partners
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| structural engineer = Dewhurst Macfarlane & Partners
| services engineer = SVM
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| main_contractors = G&J Sedden
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| capacity = 420 theatre / 108 studio
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| website = {{URL|http://thebrindley.org.uk}}
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The Brindley is a theatre in the town of Runcorn, Cheshire, England. Located by the Bridgewater Canal, the centre is named after the canal's engineer, James Brindley. It opened in autumn 2004; the architects were John Miller and Partners.{{citation |url=http://www.civictrust.org.uk/ctawards/special_brindley.shtml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070619094644/http://www.civictrust.org.uk/ctawards/special_brindley.shtml |url-status=dead |archive-date=19 June 2007 |title=Special Award: Centre Vision Award |access-date=29 September 2007 |publisher=The Civic Trust }} The building is owned and operated by Halton Borough Council.
Design and construction
Halton Borough Council were concerned about the building's impact on the environment and about its energy requirements. Therefore "low energy, high efficiency techniques" were used in its construction.{{Citation | url = http://www.svm.co.uk/projects/theatre-and-auditoria/brindley-arts-centre/ | title = Brindley Arts Centre, Runcorn | access-date = 16 January 2009 | publisher = SVM Consulting Engineers}} These include a TermoDeck slab system, a storage technique for controlling the environment within large and medium-sized buildings using hollow cores within pre-cast concrete floor slabs as ventilation ducts.{{Citation |last1=Barton |first1=P. |title=A theoretical study of the thermal performance of the TermoDeck hollow core slab system |date=September 2002 |volume= 22|pages=1485–1499 |series=Applied Thermal Engineering |last2=Beggs |first2=C. B. |last3=Sleigh |first3=P. A. |issue=13 |doi=10.1016/S1359-4311(02)00059-5|bibcode=2002AppTE..22.1485B }}
Facilities
The venue consists of a 420-seat main auditorium playing host to touring productions, a professional pantomime each Christmas season, local amateur shows and in-house productions, a 108-seat studio which also serves as a single screen cinema, an exhibition and gallery space, an education room, a dark room, a digital imaging room, dressing rooms, a meeting room, a bar and a café overlooking the Bridgewater Canal.{{citation |url=http://thebrindley.org.uk/about-us/ |title=About us |access-date=23 December 2017 |publisher=Halton Borough Council}}
Awards
The centre has won several awards for its architecture: The Centre Vision Award from The Civic Trust in 2005, the Excellence in Access award from the ADAPT Trust (Access for Disabled People to Arts Premises Today), and the Architectural Award from the Royal Institute of British Architects.{{citation |url=http://www2.halton.gov.uk/thebrindley/content/news?a=5441 |title=The Brindley: News |access-date=29 September 2007 |publisher=Halton Borough Council |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071104231230/http://www2.halton.gov.uk/thebrindley/content/news?a=5441 |archive-date=4 November 2007 }} RIBA praised the building for fitting into its context, using the canal-side location to give views, and making good use of its budget.[http://www.architecture.com/Awards/RIBAAwards/Winners2005/NorthWest/TheBrindleyArtsCentre.aspx The Brindley Arts Centre, Runcorn] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091123230008/http://www.architecture.com/Awards/RIBAAwards/Winners2005/NorthWest/TheBrindleyArtsCentre.aspx |date=2009-11-23 }}, RIBA, retrieved on 16 January 2009 It also won the Open Award for Technical Excellence in Architectural Technology 2008.{{Citation | last = Glynn| first = Paul| date = 20 August 2009| title = Brindley Arts Centre receives Open Award for Technical Excellence in Architectural Technology 2008| periodical = Runcorn and Widnes Weekly News| publisher = Trinity Mirror North West & North Wales| url = http://www.runcornandwidnesweeklynews.co.uk/runcorn-widnes-news/runcorn-widnes-local-news/2009/08/20/brindley-arts-centre-receives-open-award-for-technical-excellence-in-architectural-technology-2008-55368-24480051/| access-date =20 August 2009}}
For its community activities, The Brindley won the title Best Arts Project in the UK at The National Lottery Awards in 2007.{{citation |url=http://iccheshireonline.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0100regionalnews/tm_method=full%26objectid=19819308%26siteid=50020-name_page.html |title=We did it! |access-date=29 September 2007 |last=Breslin |first=Holly |date=20 September 2007 |work=Runcorn Weekly News |publisher=Trinity Mirror North West & North Wales Limited }} In May 2008, the theatre won the Best Performance Venue Award at the Mersey Partnership Tourism Awards 2008.
References
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External links
{{portal|Cheshire}}
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20091123230008/http://www.architecture.com/Awards/RIBAAwards/Winners2005/NorthWest/TheBrindleyArtsCentre.aspx The Brindley Arts Centre (RIBA)] (with photograph from the canal side)
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Category:Buildings and structures in Runcorn