EN-Seefire
EN 12101-2 certified louvred ventilator for smoke and heat exhaust, day-to-day ventilation, and daylight entry, with multiple variants and installation options.
Shakespeare North Playhouse
A 17th Century theatre resurrected within a contemporary building where education and performance come together.
Header image credit: Steve Samosa Photography
Situated in the Prescot Town Conservation Area, Shakespeare North Playhouse transports students and visitors back to the past. Within its modern brick and glass wrapping, the building houses a recreation of Inigo Jones’ Cockpit-in-Court theatre which was originally opened in London in 1630. The octagonal, green oak theatre provides a unique space for performance and is supported by a Studio space, the Sir Ken Dodd Performance Garden, the Learning Centre, an Exhibition Gallery and the Bar & Kitchen. Following its completion, the theatre has been shortlisted for 38 awards with wins including a RIBA North West Award in 2024 and ‘Theatre Building of the Year’ at The Stage Awards in 2023.
Colt International was appointed to oversee the design, manufacture and installation of the smoke control system, collaborating with M&E contractors Dodd Group and Foreman Roberts to develop a solution which addressed the unique challenges this structure posed. The final system combines a range of mechanical and natural systems, including EN-Seefire and Coltlite ventilators, in a package which supports simple operation and day-to-day maintenance.
Sector: Arts & Culture
Location: Prescot, Merseyside
Client: Shakespeare North Playhouse
Architect: Austin-Smith:Lord
M&E: Dodd Group, Foreman Roberts
System: Smoke Control, Mechanical, Natural
Products: EN-Seefire (ECO), Coltlite, Colt OPV Display Panel & Heart Module, Colt Smoke Damper, Colt Smoke Extract fans.
Image credit: Steve Samosa Photography
As with all theatre projects, ensuring adequate ventilation for the performance space was a primary consideration as, alongside smoke control and day-to-day ventilation, the system must also handle theatrical smoke and fog. The Cockpit Theatre posed additional challenges as it offers two stage configurations - in-the-round and end-on. These arrangements fundamentally change the volume of the space and needed to be accounted for in the smoke control system and wider M&E system designs.
The building’s location in a residential area meant that acoustics also needed to be carefully considered to limit noise transmission from the system both into the theatre space and externally to the surrounding neighbourhoods.
To address these requirements, Colt International collaborated closely with the project team to develop a routing arrangement where air is passed through a number of internal vents and corridors to travel from the external environment to the theatre space. This mechanical system incorporates several Colt Smoke Extract Axial Fans and EN-Seefire louvred ventilators on the roof along with Coltlite CLT thermally broken louvred ventilators fitted on the first and second storey of the theatre space. Both EN-Seefire and Coltlite CLT units are EN 12101-2 certified for smoke and heat exhaust and can deliver both smoke control and day-to-day ventilation.
Austin-Smith:Lord worked with Colt International to create details which integrate the in-theatre louvres within sections of panelling that were generally providing acoustic absorption. The louvres were installed within a gap in the absorbing materials on the north wall of the theatre so that, from the audience view, there were uniform timber slats and the louvres were concealed.
To support this complex arrangement, a further requirement of the brief was that all systems relating to the M&E specification, including the smoke control system and actuated doors and windows, should be easily monitorable and controllable from a single contact point.
To achieve this, Colt International installers wired all the systems (many of which were not supplied or installed by Colt International) to an OPV Heart Module which is controlled via an OPV Display Panel in the main foyer. This advanced system allows the theatre’s maintenance team to easily monitor and individually control all elements within these systems, highlighting any faults and communicating with the Building Management System to automatically maintain internal conditions. In the event of a fire, this panel is also designed to support firefighters in understanding and tackling fires.
Image credit: Steve Samosa Photography
Shakespeare North Playhouse is just one of a number of theatre projects for which Colt International has helped to design, manufacture and deliver bespoke smoke control solutions for. If you are interested in discussing how Colt can help develop a tailored solution for your project, get in touch with our experienced team below.
Coltlite
Natural louvred glazed vent, suitable for natural/ smoke ventilation. Designed as a glazed element of the building envelope, it can be used as a high specification fire, smoke and air control damper.
Contact us
We deliver tailored solutions across Smoke Control, Climate Control and Louvres. For more information on how we can help you with your project, get in touch with our team.