When Hollaway was invited to submit competition proposals for Bethany School in 2016, it was something of a full-circle moment for Guy Hollaway, an alumnus of the school himself. In 2024, the Pengelly Performance Centre was officially unveiled.
The design of a theatre has a completely different orientation to that of a typical building, both figuratively and physically. Most buildings are designed to engage with the world surrounding it; the architect orients its windows to both the light and landscape. The purpose of a theatre, by contrast, is to provide a space to create its own world, necessitating the deliberate exclusion of light. A windowless façade therefore means that the building’s external form can take centre stage.
The Pengelly Performance Centre is not merely a place to watch theatre, but first and foremost a space where it is created. The lighting rig descends within reach, allowing students and teachers alike to learn the ropes and take part in the process, ensuring that theatre at Bethany is the collaborative medium it has always been.
Early site studies explored locating the building on the site of the school’s redundant outdoor swimming pool, but the challenging topography made this an expensive option. Instead, Managing Partner Alex Richards suggested relocating the project to the Headmaster’s Green, once a prohibited area for students during Guy’s time at Bethany, unlocking new efficiencies.
Rather than the arts centre standing apart from the rest of the school as an isolated ivory tower, the theatre has become part of a shared landscape, integrating Pengelly Performance Centre as an essential component of the Bethany community for years to come.
