A hospitality venue clad in brass and bronze has replaced the concert hall’s industrial steam powerhouse
BDP has converted the Royal Albert Hall’s steam boiler house into a bar for performers and guests.
The new subterranean hospitality venue has seen the preservation of many of the 150-year-old room’s original materials, which were recast in resin and embedded within a patinated steel staircase and feature wall.
James Ainscough, chief executive of the Royal Albert Hall, said: “We want to ensure that all the world-class artists we welcome receive a Royal Albert Hall experience backstage as well as on-stage.
“By preserving the historic features of the space in the creation of this beautiful new Artists’ Bar, BDP has worked with our team to create a design that reflects both our proud past and our incredibly exciting future.”
BDP said its material choices, such as brass and bronze, “echo the mechanical heritage of the boiler house, while the dramatic blue quartzite bar top introduces a sense of movement and energy, its crystalline textures recalling water vapour and weathered metal.”
Timber flooring and a bespoke inset rug have been put in place of the powerhouse’s four original boilers, while furnishings have been made flexible to enable the room to be used for rehearsals, performances and post-show gatherings.
Katharine Blankley, interior design director at BDP, said: “This project gave us a rare opportunity to work with a piece of the Royal Albert Hall’s unseen history and shape it into a place that feels special, grounded and genuinely connected to its heritage. Every design decision was about creating an experience that respects the industrial past while welcoming people into a comfortable and characterful environment.”
The transformation follows the 2023 opening of a two-storey basement extension to the venue’s southwest quadrant, including office spaces and an additional level underneath the carpark delivered by Sir Robert McAlpine.
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