01 / Academic
Reversing the Gaze.
National Theatre Extension / London, UK
A cascading timber stair-stage transforms circulation into a civic performance landscape between the National Theatre and the Thames.
Extending from the National Theatre fly tower towards the River Thames, the proposal turns movement into occupied public space. Steps become seating, terraces become stages, and the city becomes part of the performance. Glulam and CLT establish a lighter material language alongside the theatre’s Brutalist concrete.
- Project type
- Academic
- Typology
- National Theatre Extension
- Location
- London, UK
- Year
- 2026
01 / Spatial organisation
Theatre, city, river.
The extension connects the theatre terraces, bridge approach and river edge. Its stepped route brings performance platforms together with spaces for bookselling, food and exhibition.
02 / Public space
Circulation as occupation.
The stair is a place to pause as well as a route through the building. Seating, sheltered platforms and viewing decks allow the roles of audience and performer to shift.
