Limetec takes centre stage with Royal Shakespeare Company

Lime Technology’s Limetec® hydraulic lime mortar has proved to be the ideal product to match existing mortar at the Royal Shakespeare Company’s (RSC) redevelopment of their Stratford-upon-Avon base.

The large project, started in 2007 and set for completion in 2010, will transform the RSC’s home to provide a new 1000 seat thrust-stage auditorium, where the audience will surround the action on three sides. The project also includes a host of new and improved audience facilities.

The multi-million pound project, designed by architects Bennetts Associates, necessitated the demolition of parts of the old structure whilst retaining key elements of its Victorian and Art Deco design. The new buildings will be integrated into the remaining structure. Overseen by Construction Manager Mace, brickwork contractor Lesterose used traditional Limetec® hydraulic lime mortar for the restoration work.

Produced and supplied by Lime Technology, the mortar was produced in one tonne bulk bags and mixed only with clean water on site. The Limetec range of mortars is a modern day replica of traditional lime mortars, making them the ideal product to faithfully restore the theatre. As an ideal restoration product, hydraulic lime mortar has many desirable qualities including aesthetics, breathability and the ability to accommodate slight movements in a building, therefore helping to reduce or even eliminate expansion joints. For these reasons, Limetec hydraulic lime mortar is now being specified for new build schemes as well as restoration work.

When the Stratford theatre opens, their acting company will benefit from a new artists’ block, which will include dressing rooms with balconies and a riverside view. The redevelopment also features a Theatre Tower, a new landmark for Stratford-upon-Avon, which will provide a viewing platform at the top, along with important vertical circulation for the building.