€20m theatre complex will light up using Beijing Olympics technology

A €20 MILLION theatre building will light up during performances using dramatic technology which features in the Beijing Olympics.

The outer walls of the 600-seater Ryan Maynooth Centre in Co Kildare will be illuminated in red and be seen for miles around.

Dublin-based Smith and Kennedy won the contract to design the project, which will use the groundbreaking ETFE technology.

This was used in the Beijing National Aquatics Centre.

Architect Joe Kennedy said: “The theatre building will turn red when the theatre is in use, signalling to the wider community that something is happening. This will allow the theatre to communicate with its public through projection.”

Construction is due to begin next year on the facility which includes a 600-seat public theatre with a total floor area of over 4,000sq m. The project will also include a separate student theatre space, tutorial rooms, rehearsal rooms, training studios, offices and media facilities, plus a public exhibition space, restaurant and bar facilities.

Mr Kennedy added: “Central to every aspect of the theatre design is interaction with the public. The main theatre auditorium is three-tiered, ensuring close proximity to the actors to achieve maximum intimacy.”

The centre is named after the late businessman, Cathal Ryan.

The unique design is expected to help the theatre to attract major performances from abroad.

The project has full workshop, wardrobe, dressing room and administrative facilities, and has backstage access for international standard touring companies. The main stage is 10 metres square with six-metre high backstage access. The smaller theatre is egg-shaped. It will host many types of theatre and audio visual productions in addition to theatre in the round, dance and other disciplines.

The engineers for the project are Arup, who have been involved in some of the leading theatres around the world.