We are gathered here: Jacksons Lane Theatre
How Citizens Designs Bureau transformed a former church into a purposeful community space.
Jacksons Lane Theatre
Words: Lauren Teague
Photography: Fred Haworth
Jacksons Lane has been part of Highgate’s local community since the 1980s. Housed in a Grade II listed former church in North London, the building has seen a number of changes in use since its completion in 1905 and is now an important part of the cultural fabric of the area. Now, as the UK’s leading supporter of contemporary circus, Jacksons Lane comprises a 170-capacity auditorium, rehearsal studios for performers, and a variety of spaces for digital content creation and production, the building is at the heart of a community ethos to promote physical activity, social connection and togetherness.
Architecture studio Citizens Design Bureau has completed an extensive but sensitive redevelopment project which has restored and modernised the building while retaining its character and charm. The £4.6m project sees the studio spaces reimagined and upgraded while celebrating the centre’s history.
“We felt that there was huge potential in the building,” says Citizens Design Bureau Founder Katy Marks, whose approach to the project celebrates the ethos of Jacksons Lane Theatre as well as the historic building itself. Significant alterations have restored and revealed the building’s original architecture. Meanwhile, a reconfiguration of internal layouts has improved accessibility and added new rehearsal, performance and event spaces. Functionally, the building’s mixture of uses is enhanced by improved acoustics, ventilation and access to natural light.
The original church porch, which had been boarded up for several years, has been reinstated as the centre’s main entrance to enhance street presence and strengthen the building’s connection to the Haringey community. A new double-height atrium creates a public-facing entrance, while an expanded and updated café creates a welcoming social space for the community to enjoy.
Celebrating Jacksons Lane’s long-standing association with the circus and creative arts, Citizens Advice Bureau has infused the new additions with a playful palette of reds, oranges and teals which contrast the existing exposed timber, stone and whitewashed brick, and express the distinct layers of the building’s history in a playful way.
An intelligent lighting strategy contributes to the warm and energetic ambience of the space. “We wanted the lighting to express the playfulness of Jacksons Lane’s ethos: low-cost, standard elements, assembled in quirky ways – hanging and projecting at unusual angles, adding dynamism to the spaces,” says Marks.
With backing from Arts Council England, as well as Haringey Council and a public fundraising campaign, the £46m project has future-proofed Jacksons Lane Theatre for current and future generations, securing its position as a leading venue for community-focused creative arts and theatre.
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