Fortune Theatre, bar alterations
Mark Price was asked to provide a Heritage Statement for the Fortune Theatre in London’s Theatreland.
The Fortune opened in 1924 with a play called Sinners by Laurence Cowen. It is a Grade II Listed Building in the City of Westminster.
It was the first theatre to be built in London after the First World War. The building was constructed in ferro-concrete (a mixture of Derbyshire peal spar and white cement) and given a bush-hammered finish. Windows were made of mild steel and set flush with the façade. The only external ornamentation was made from ribbons of cast lead. It was topped with a gilt figure of Fortuna by Michael Hewan Crichton.
Internally, the two-balconied auditorium was the first in London to make a merit of abandoning stage boxes and curving balcony fronts. Although its murals have been painted-out, its chevron plasterwork and other art deco features survive.
Mark Price was able to provide a comprehensive Statement of Significance not only supporting the renovation, but justifying new interventions within the bars, making the theatre fit-for-purpose. He was also able to source original plans and photographs to assist an understanding of the original design and finishes.
The resulting Heritage Statement adhered to the NPPF and Westminster’s City Plan heritage policy.
