First look inside Sadler’s Wells East, a new powerhouse for dance
January 20, 2025
Sadler’s Wells East, designed by architects O’Donnell and Tuomey, is a new hub for creativity, with a 550-seat flexible theatre and six studios for creating and developing dance productions. It is designed both for artists to come together to create dance, and also for anyone to experience dance: to take part, learn, experiment and be inspired.
Sadler’s Wells East is a resource for the whole of the UK, offering a destination venue for dance companies around Britain to tour to the capital, and hosting the best work from international choreographers. Performances developed on the Stratford stage will tour the UK and the world, reaching new audiences.
Sadler’s Wells East will be a major centre for education and training, hosting facilities for the new Rose Choreographic School and Academy Breakin’ Convention, the UK’s first free diploma in Performance and Production Arts specific to Hip Hop Theatre.
It is the fourth Sadler’s Wells venue, adding to Sadler’s Wells Theatre, the Lilian Baylis Studio and the Peacock Theatre in showcasing and developing the very best dance being created today. Sadler’s Wells commissions, produces and presents more dance than any other organisation in the world.
Sadler’s Wells East is part of East Bank, London’s new cultural and education quarter, and is located opposite the London Aquatic Centre, framing the approach to West Ham stadium along the pedestrian route from Stratford station and looking out over Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. Both entrances of Sadler’s Wells East, arriving from Stratford Station and along the Waterfront, are emblazoned with neon signs reading ‘YOU ARE WELCOME’.
Sadler’s Wells East joins the rich cultural heritage of Stratford, opening as part of the East Bank development alongside the BBC Music Studios, UAL’s London College of Fashion, UCL East and V&A East Museum & Storehouse.
Britannia Morton, Sadler’s Wells Executive Director and Co-CEO, said: “This building has been designed inside out, with the needs of dance put first. From the windows to the brickwork, O’Donnell + Tuomey have created an incredibly unique and deeply considered space in which to create and enjoy dance. They have responded to our brief with great ingenuity, of creating a purpose-built theatre specifically for dance creating a space which is both brilliantly functional and beautifully designed, and which will make an important addition to the nation’s national arts infrastructure. We wanted this building to be welcoming, and the generous public spaces will invite the public people in to come and experience dance, whether that’s for the first or the hundredth time.”
Sir Alistair Spalding CBE, Sadler’s Wells Artistic Director and Co-CEO said: “O’Donnell + Tuomey have created an extraordinary, striking building for dance artists and lovers of dance alike. The light and airy studios will be inspiring places for choreographers to create and develop new work, and the state-of-the-art auditorium will provide a fantastic place for audiences to enjoy the artform. Its flexibility with multiple configurations provides opportunity for choreographers to dream up new productions that we otherwise wouldn’t have been able to present. We can’t wait to welcome the public in”
Sheila O’Donnell said: “It’s been a privilege to work with Sadler’s Wells, working together to accommodate dance in all its forms. We had designed theatres before, but not for dance. The fixed shapes of stage and studios determine the dimensions of everything else. The built form is inspired by dance notation, a static diagram of movement expressed in rhythmic composition. This is a straightforward building, designed to be open, welcoming and ready for work.”
Building Design
The character of the building is in keeping with the industrial past of the site. Walls and roofs are clad in brick and large tiles made of the same purple-hued clay. Approaching from the Carpenter’s Road side the building appears as a brick monolith; a solid sculpted mass with corbelled chimney and articulated staircase. Brickwork steps and chamfers to form entrances, articulate surfaces and turn corners. The saw-tooth studios, walls and roofs clad in clay tiles enliven the skyline. The flytower rises above the rest of the building, expressed as a singular element in brickwork and proudly displaying the illuminated Sadler’s Wells signage.
O’Donnell and Tuomey worked closely with engineers Buro Happold to deliver a unique building dedicated to dance. The crafted facade of hand laid brick and clay shingle tiles provides high environmental, solar and thermal performance, and acoustic attenuation. Inside, an integrated structural and building services approach achieves acoustic and vibration separation across all performance and rehearsal space, realising a venue that Sadler’s Wells can use without limitations.
Theatre
The auditorium, designed in consultation with Charcoal Blue, occupies almost half of the volume of the building, and is a flexible space with a single rake of seating for an audience of 550. The dimensions of the stage are identical to Sadler’s Wells Theatre in Islington, to enable productions to transfer seamlessly from one venue to another, and the stage area can be expanded by removing and retracting seats, allowing artists to create work for a variety of configurations. A fully motorised hoist system ensures overhead flying capabilities comparable to the Sadler’s Wells Theatre and leading European theatres.
Foyer
Open throughout the day, the free-flowing L-shaped foyer is a public living room with café and bars, as well as The Dance Floor – a public performance space which will give a platform to community groups and guest artists and will be a welcoming space for all styles of dance. The foyer opens out onto Stratford Walk and the public realm, where there is a further outside performance space and amphitheatre-style seating.
Two entrances located at opposite ends of the foyer allow people to walk through the building. Around The Dance Floor the façade is fully glazed, allowing views in and passers-by to become part of the audience.
A newly commissioned tapestry created by Eva Rothschild RA will draw the eye to the dramatic double height space.
Lighting has been designed by Aideen Malone, who brings her theatre perspective to architectural lighting to create a playful concept, which will adapt to suit the different uses of the space.
Studios
Sadler’s Wells East has been designed following extensive consultation with dance artists about the spaces they wanted to work in. Six studios will be working spaces with excellent temperature control and natural light, enhanced by the saw tooth roof design. Most of the studios have direct access to terrace spaces with views over the park, for moments of rest and reflection.
The largest of the new studios is located above the auditorium, separated by a storey height acoustic insulation zone. An enhanced space, it is slightly bigger than the theatre stage itself and includes lighting rig facilities, to allow work to be both developed and performed onsite.
Production facilities / Backstage
8 metres below the pedestrian podium and public entrances, the stage door and get-in are at street level on Carpenter’s Road. A multifunction room has space for costume-making facilities.
Programming
The programme at Sadler’s Wells East will reflect the exciting breadth and diversity of dance being created in the United Kingdom, including locally in East London, and from around the world, featuring everything from hip hop to ballet, rave to rhumba and kathak to krumping. The opening programme showcases the flexibility and possibility of the building, and will see the main performance space, at various points, transform into a club dance floor, a skatepark, a photography studio, and an immersive rave experience.
Sustainability
The building has a highly insulated compact envelope, efficient systems, connection to a local district heating network as well as renewables to generate electricity, naturally ventilated foyer and thermal mass for passive temperature stability, achieving low operational carbon. Biodiversity is enhanced through planting and green and brown living roofs. Sadler’s Wells achieves BREEAM Excellent.
Funding
Sadler’s Wells East and East Bank is generously supported by the Mayor of London, UK Government and the London Legacy Development Corporation. Sadler’s Wells East is also supported by private donors, including Humphrey Battcock, the Blavatnik Family Foundation, The Dorfman Foundation, Brenda Leff, and two anonymous major donors, and organisations including Backstage Trust, Garfield Weston Foundation, and the Wolfson Foundation.
Major funding from headline sponsor Barclays, and the Mohn Westlake Foundation will help to bring these new spaces to life. The Foyle Foundation is the Lead Donor of the Sadler’s Wells Creative Development Fund, which will support adventurous creative projects at Sadler’s Wells East.
Emily McDonald, Buro Happold Partner and Project Principal said: “Sadler’s Wells East has been a very exciting project to work on, and we’ve enjoyed being part of the creative design team behind this exceptional venue. We worked across our engineering disciplines and closely with the wider project team to achieve excellence in performance environment, audience experience and sustainability. It is wonderful to now see the venue complete, and about to open as a new landmark for contemporary dance and culture in the UK.”
Alex Wardle, Senior Consultant at Charcoalblue said: “Collaborating with the incredible team at Sadler’s Wells on this inspiring building has been an absolute privilege. I can’t wait to see the space come alive with the creation of new work—I’m looking forward to seeing it in action!”