Old Market Theatre
Project type: CONCEPT, SOURCING, COLLABORATION.
Total area - 257m² (phased project)
Scope: Public areas - bar, Waterloo Room, entrance, WCs
Address - Market Street, Hove
Client - The Old Market Charitable Trust
This special building began as a market, built for the new Brunswick Town development designed by Charles Busby turns 200 in 2025.
It's undergone many uses - as well as a market it's been a school, riding stables and a wholesale grocers. It was given Grade II listed status in 1971. In 2010 it was purchased by its current owners Luke Cresswell and Steve McNicholas, founders of fantastic internationally touring production STOMP. The building since then has been an arts venue, much cherished by our city. A safe space for alternative performances - providing a 500 standing capacity / 300 seated auditorium. The 200th anniversary coincides with the venue celebrating one year as a charity - the Old Market Charitable Trust.
I was asked to help develop a master plan design for updates to the public areas - which are going to happen gradually as the charity really relies on donations and funding. We want to spend any money carefully and responsibly. We have completed Phase One - the bar and Waterloo Room so far.
Working collaboratively with the management team, a palette and design was developed for their brief - a combination of industrial and plant life, as in "Chernobyl 10 years on". As budget is tight, reuse was very much part of the concept - in-house reuse or the purchase of preloved.
The team at the venue are wonderful and care deeply about it. Most have worked there for many years - they deeply care about the venue and their visitors. It's been really special to work alongside them, donating time to help it all along - with a circular economy driven, sensitive design. Some of the team have even done some of the decorating themselves including my slightly ambitiously specified colourwash to the bar area - bea
There's more phases to come - and exciting National Lottery funded murals in various media from local artists are about to be installed.
Project steps:
Briefing and site visit
Interior design concept
Design development and sourcing
Detail drawings and specification
The following elements were incorporated into the design:
Banquette seating: Small UK business Inn Vogue, using durable upholstery velvet made from 100% Reprieve post consumer PET fibres. This fabric is PFC free, easy clean and anti-viral finish, halogen free fire retardant coating, and is fully REACH compliant + manufactured to Oeko Tex Standard 100. The seating has a FSC timber woodwork (frame, plinth and infills). Part of the banquete onsite bespoke installation was kindly donated by Inn Vogue.
Table tops and low stools: reused, preloved - resold by Inn Vogue. Furniture has been specified to adapt to suit the use of the space.
Paint: We used 'ReColour' paint remanufactured from leftover recycled paint made by Community Repaint. Supplied by REMO the UK’s First Centre for Social Reuse, community owned. REMO is the new trading name for CCORRN – Cambridgeshire Community Reuse and Recycling Network. "Over 50 million litres of paint goes to waste every year in the UK – incinerated or put into landfill -whilst thousands of homes and community projects cannot afford to buy brand new paint." A charity discount was kindly donated by REMO. Painting was done in-house by the TOM team including the impressive colour wash effect by Sarita.
Blinds: Electrically operated Roman blinds in bamboo 66% + jute 34% + plus blackout lining
Lobby: Walls and ceiling using reused vintage TOM posters
Reused existing timber floor
Reused existing bar area
Air purifying plants
Low energy lighting
Reused existing salvaged drinks shelf
Reused existing high stools
TOM's 200 year history communicated via a mural project collaboration with local artists
Next phase:
Reuse existing TOM double banquettes - refill and recover in the same PET velvet, using local small business.
More decorating in ReColour
Replace lobby carpet in FSC timber engineered board or cork TBC.
Chandeliers for the Waterloo Room - an exciting TOM waste-reuse collaboration TBC
Before and After.....
