De Matos Ryan appointed as lead architect for Britten Pears Arts transformation project
De Matos Ryan is delighted to announce its appointment as the Lead Architect for the transformative Britten Pears Arts project on the Suffolk coast. Britten Pears Arts is a pioneering music, arts and heritage charity based at two popular, historic visitor destinations: Snape Maltings and The Red House.
The scheme is part of a three-year, £13.4 million Capital Programme which will deliver increased activities for the organisation’s communities and enhance the lives of all those that visit. To date £4.8 million has been raised for the transformation of Britten Pears Arts, including a significant award of £750,000 from Arts Council England thanks to its government funded Capital Investment Programme. The Capital Programme will ensure Britten Pears Arts’ buildings and sites have improved accessibility for everyone, and both financial and environmental resilience. Following in the footsteps of its founders, Benjamin Britten and Peter Pears, and their passion to ensure that the arts were useful and available to everyone, Britten Pears Arts’ Capital Programme will mean that the facilities will be significantly upgraded, making their buildings even more efficient operationally and commercially, allowing a wider range of creative opportunities, which will ensure that the organisation continues to achieve its mission for decades to come.
Capital Programme overview
Britten Pears Arts to work with the Alde and Ore Estuary Trust (AOET) and East Suffolk Water Management Board (ESWMB) to raise the Snape Maltings flood defences.
The modernisation of the Britten Pears Building to enable increased levels of community use and the expansion of Britten Pears Arts community and creative health programmes. A new access lift will be created to ensure that everyone can use the revamped studios.
A series of upgrades to Snape Maltings Concert Hall to improve access, audience comfort and programming flexibility. There will be new auditorium seating, lighting, an extra passenger lift, refurbished toilets and better kitchen facilities.
Britten Pears Arts will significantly lower carbon emissions by installing roof insulation, use of photovoltaic panels, and by connecting the music buildings to a renewable heating system.
As well as improvements to existing artist accommodation at Snape Maltings and in Aldeburgh, nine new bedrooms will be created at Snape Maltings for visiting musicians, arts practitioners and visitors.
There will be a new visitor exhibition at The Red House and a Discovery Centre at Snape Maltings, to tell the fascinating stories about the heritage sites.
De Matos Ryan brings a wealth of knowledge and proven track record in revitalising heritage and cultural buildings to reflect new and improved uses through thoughtful but contemporary interventions which always seek to optimise a building’s operational and environmental performance but also, importantly, improve the building’s experience for both visitors and staff. The vision for the project is to enhance the audience and artist experience making Britten Pears Arts more accessible and appealing to a wider range of visitors and performers – improving both outreach and revenue.
Angus Morrogh-Ryan, Director of De Matos Ryan commented, “We are delighted to have been appointed to help support Britten Pears Arts as they prepare for their next chapter and continue to create a lasting legacy of music that everyone can enjoy and experience at Snape Maltings. We look forward to breathing new life into the wide range of their distinctive buildings and remarkable landscape. We seek to help broaden their creative opportunities, building on the already remarkable artistic experience whilst also improving accessibility and sustainability for future generations. Our driving force is delivering resilient, welcoming and joyful cultural destinations that are loved locally and recognised internationally. As Britten once said, we want our work ‘to be of use to people, to please them, to enhance their lives’.”
Roger Wright, Chief Executive, Britten Pears Arts commented, “This programme will create transformational benefits for Britten Pears Arts, our audiences, communities and musicians. The sensitive improvements to the buildings will resolve access and sustainability challenges which mean everyone will be able to enjoy the activities we present in them. We offer huge thanks to Arts Council England and all the other funders for their vital support. Whilst there remains a big funding challenge which we have to overcome, I am confident that we will meet it, and am proud of what we have achieved so far, as we continue to respect our heritage and protect our future.”
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