A modern performance centre developed within a historic maltings.

A former maltings now hosts drama and dance studios, a 350-seat theatre encouraging pupil involvement both on and off stage. Foyers, carved out from historic barley kilns, connect to a commercial kitchen, dining rooms, science labs, and art studios. Additional spaces include drama department offices, actor changing rooms, and set production workshops.

The King’s School Canterbury is Britain’s oldest public school, a co-educational day and boarding school. Our long-standing professional relationship with the school has resulted in bespoke standard project specifications, simplifying maintenance, and establishing common design standards for future endeavours.

The sensitive repurposing of the 19^th century Malt into a new performance centre involved threading services around existing building features, requiring close collaboration with the whole design team, whilst meeting the client’s brief for facilities akin to those found in professional theatre environments.

Significant upgrades to the fabric and insulation resulted in a largely-reused existing building with great sustainability credentials. Secondary glazing was added to improve efficiency whilst retaining the historic windows and a careful analysis determined which parts of the building could be comfortably naturally ventilated, despite it being immediately beside both the train line into London and residential properties.

Where natural ventilation was not appropriate, heat recovery systems were designed to ensure efficient use of energy in operation. Full M&E services were designed to ensure energy-efficient operation and lower carbon emissions.

Winning a RIBA National and four East Awards in 2021, the Malthouse at King’s School Canterbury was praised as an "exemplar of how to repurpose an existing building in an imaginative, honest, and sensitive way." This recognition highlights the successful transformation of the maltings, now a centre for creating and experiencing drama and dance of the highest quality.

Awards

Winner of a RIBA National Award 2021.

Winner of three RIBA South East Awards 2021: main award, Building of the Year and Conservation - Full Article.

Civic Trust Awards 2023.

Winner of an AJ Retrofit Award 2021: Cultural Buildings £5 million and over. The conversion of the Victorian brewery maltings into a school theatre and drama centre was described by judges as combining ‘a freshness of approach while sensitively retaining the character of the existing building’.