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A large, bright red architectural structure with a series of pipes on top sits on a cobbled street. A person on a bicycle rides past the installation, which is positioned next to a white vintage van.

Aberrant Architecture bring a tiny 17th Century theatre back to life

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Date
30 May 2012

It was the project we picked out from Clerkenwell Design Week right back at the initial press briefing and now we can show you Aberrant Architecture’s Small Coal-Man’s Tiny Travelling Theatre in all its glory.

Inspired by the unlikely story of Thomas Britton’s 17th Century theatre space which entertained small London crowds with acts ranging from first-time enthusiasts to Handel (yes that one), Aberrant reimagined Britton’s space for the 21st Century. A boat handle opens the stage door and a coal scuttle roof filters light into the auditorium which could seat only a couple of audience members, but the eye-catching red colour gave it a modern twist. Passers-by could get a flavour of proceedings through a large sound funnel and the exterior walls doubled up as a refreshment space.

A large, bright red sculpture shaped like a stylized rocket or cannon stands in a cobbled courtyard. People sit in chairs nearby, while a black and white vintage Volkswagen camper van is parked to the left.
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Photography by Simon Kennedy

A large, red sculptural object shaped like a stylized machine or furnace sits in a cobbled courtyard. It is positioned between traditional brick buildings and a stone castle-like structure under a clear blue sky.
Above

Photography by Simon Kennedy

A bright red sculpture consisting of several conical pipes of varying heights. The pipes are clustered together on top of a large, red rectangular plinth in front of a brick building and green trees.
Above

Photography by Simon Kennedy

A low-angle shot of a ceiling made from oriented strand board. Circular skylights are cut into the wood, allowing bright light to stream through.
Above

Photography by Simon Kennedy

A person in a black leather jacket and white skirt leans in to listen to a large, red conical horn. The sculpture is set on a city street against a backdrop of brick buildings.
Above

Photography by Simon Kennedy

Two people sit opposite each other in a narrow room with chipboard walls. One person plays a ukulele while the other holds a harmonica, with a heavy purple curtain hanging behind them.
Above

Photography by Simon Kennedy

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About the Author

Rob Alderson

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Rob Alderson is a freelance writer, editor and strategist. He was previously editor-in-chief of It’s Nice That and WePresent, and editor of Design Week. He publishes the newsletter Undo, which tries to make sense of how AI is changing design work, the design process and the design industry.

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