Waterloo woven wire cloth from The Locker Group has been installed as façade cladding at Plymouth Theatre Royal TR2. Plymouth Theatre Royal’s complex provides a single location for the production of theatrical works, including the construction of sets, costumes and props, combined with rehearsal and education spaces.

Ian Ritchie Architects’ multiple-award-winning design provides an open interconnected web of the activities involved in the production of theatre – and PTR2 meets the crucial aim of creating a sense of community and respect for the work of others

Based on a flexible linear plan, rehearsal and education pods, workshops and assembly spaces slide along the length of a common circulation spine. A palette of tough materials – stone, zinc, and most spectacularly woven bronze – has been employed to meet the challenge of a harsh environment and the demands of making theatre.

With time, weather, and the salt-laden air, the bronze will blacken, with hints of green and gold; the bright zinc and galvanised surfaces will develop a mottled softness; internal workshop wall and floor panels will acquire a patina through paint and damage before being replaced. This is an architecture of erosion, time and theatre.