Conservation and Renewal
Burrell Foley Fischer have been the architects for the development of The Point since its inception as a regional dance agency in 1994, when a coherent group of Edwardian buildings that comprised the former town hall were converted into a thriving centre for the performing arts. Phase 1 comprised the transformation of the former council chamber into a new entrance, foyer, box office, café/bar and dance studio, while Phase 2 a year later, comprised the linking of the building to the main hall to create a 200-seat theatre dedicated to dance performances with a new, enlarged stage house and backstage accommodation.
Phase 3 in 2009 encompassed the former library, linked by a new glazed atrium to the main buildings and an entirely new creative studio with residential accommodation for six dancers. The intent of the new creative studio is to provide a base for artists in residence to create new works, which can be developed in a workshop format and presented to small invited audiences before being launched on big stages.