WORMSLEY PARK, U.K. — After 22 years at Garsington Manor, Garsington Opera has moved to Wormsley, a country estate of about 2,500 acres. Unusual Rigging managed the design and build of a temporary 600-seat pavilion for a month-long run of performances. The pavilion will be dismantled and taken away on about 40 trucks, then return for next year’s run.
Working with Garsington Opera and architect, Robin Snell, Unusual Rigging oversaw the fabrication and construction of the pavilion, which rises above the ground as if it were floating over the landscape. Snell’s design, inspired by traditional Japanese pavilions, features sliding screens, extended platforms, verandas and bridges.
“We won the project in October, then had until April to coordinate the design and build and manage the logistics, including all ground preparation works,” said Mark Priestley, project manager for Unusual Rigging. “The pavilion sits on 100 permanent concrete foundation bases, each of which measures up to 3 square meters and has an adaptor plate to which the steelwork connects, ensuring an accurate and repeatable set-out each year,” he noted, adding that the pavilion has a modular steel frame and an overall expected 15-year life span. “It will return to the same position each year,” he added.
“Construction of the primary structure and fabric roof took a month, with a further month of electrical, timber and seating fit-out,” Priestley continued. “Up to 15 of our people were on site at any one time, working with a 65-ton crane. In addition to the supply of rigging, lighting trusses and chain hoists, which is our regular ‘bread and butter,’ we supplied, cut and fitted all the timber — 3km of oak paneling and 13km of balau for the hardwood decking, held together with 70,000 screws.
“The pavilion was designed in a modular format, so each piece of the jigsaw was designed and built offsite, then fitted together at Wormsley. Just like a theatre set, each piece is numbered and mapped so that when it’s deconstructed, it can be easily fitted back together next year. And each one can be removed individually so that other pieces can be fitted in — such as elements of a set, or to create trap doors in the stage. We were careful to leave large areas around and underneath the stage area free of structural supporting steelwork, so that the directors can take out panels as they wish.”
Around 145 tons of steel, supplied by Sheetfabs of Nottingham, make up the pavilion’s frame, with some pieces pre-clad with timber and palletized. The PVC roof, supplied by Architen Landrell Associates, is actually two skins — a waterproof inner skin, with a PVC mesh 100mm above, so that falling rain drips through silently, rather than hammering the ceiling. “As far as we know,” said Priestley, “this solution is unique to the pavilion, and works really well. Clear PVC fabric in sail-like shapes is used to form the sides of the auditorium.
Sound Space Design custom-made the auditorium ceiling and walls to improve the room’s acoustics. “In the orchestra pit, we were given designs for acoustic panels, which we fabricated and placed on moveable frames. Even the disabled access lift, which was supplied by Ability Lifting Solutions, is designed to be dismantled for storage in two parts.”
The stage is on an elevated position adjacent to Home Farm, with a cluster of flinted buildings that includes a house, barns, orchard, lawns, stables and estate yards.
“The biggest challenge was the timing of the project,” said Priestley. “We had a relatively short length of time to organize the suppliers and get materials ready for assembly on site. But with our extensive experience in entertainment venues, and of working to absolute deadlines, we were absolutely sure everything would go to plan.”
“We have worked with Unusual Rigging for many years at Garsington Manor and have established an excellent working relationship with them,” said Angus Boyd-Heron, project manager for Garsington Opera. “We were therefore delighted to be able to continue the partnership by working with Unusual at Wormsley. They have handled the entire project extremely well from start to finish, dealing with the challenges they were faced with and working with all the contractors and suppliers.”
Garsington Opera opened its short summer season with Mozart’s The Magic Flute on June 2, includes the British premiere of Vivaldi’s La verità in cimento, and concludes with Rossini’s Il Turco in Italia with the last performance set for July 5.
For more information, please visit www.unusual.co.uk.
