Theatre Royal’s Splendid Terracotta Façade

Some buildings catch the eye, others are just a blind spot. The refurbished Theatre Royal in New Road caught my eye and took me back to a Tuscan Skyline; the terracotta colours of the Theatre Royal and Tuscan buildings melded in the memory into one delightful moment.
The ‘new’ look theatre will not be to everyone’s liking; you can’t please all of the people all of the time, but there can be no denying that it is understatedly striking.

Imaginative architectural design should go beyond functionality and strive to create a façade that stimulates the eye and mind and adds to the urban realm, sadly so few do today. Perhaps it’s because there is little money and pride in creating a thing of beauty and what money there is will probably be kept in the deep pockets of the developer.

With the multimillion-pound project to restore the colonnade and balcony of the Grade II listed theatre completed, the columns and balcony that make up the colonnade facade on New Road have now been returned to their 1807 authentic terracotta; and splendid they look too.

Congratulations to those behind and involved directly with this refurbishment, they clearly have protected a valuable heritage asset.