Sadler’s Wells

With a history spanning more than three centuries, Sadler’s Wells has firmly established itself as a world leader in dance performance. Since the 1600s, no fewer than six theatres have stood on its historic site, with the current building, designed by RHWL Architects, opening its doors in 1998. Clark Door was approached by Sadler’s Wells Theatre Operations team when the original vertically sliding acoustic stage get-in door – nearing 30 years old – became stuck in the open position.

This left only the outer, non-acoustic double doors separating the stage from the busy traffic on Rosebery Avenue. The constant noise of vehicles and the cold draughts, particularly during the winter months, were causing significant disruption for staff, performers and audiences alike.

An initial site survey revealed several complex challenges. The new door needed to pass through an overhead gantry with a restricted cut-out, while the stage floor imposed strict point-loading limits. The existing door footprint also featured an offset counterweight system, located separately from and out of alignment with the main door structure.

Extensive modifications were made to Clark Door’s standard vertical acoustic door design. Following a detailed second survey, the team replicated the full structural opening and surrounding detail at Clark Door’s R&D Centre in Carlisle. This enabled full works testing and a complete rehearsal of the installation process ahead of time. Representatives from Sadler’s Wells visited Carlisle to witness a live demonstration of the door in operation, providing feedback and final sign-off before the door was completed and transported to site.

Owing to the highly bespoke and technically demanding nature of the project, Clark Door and Sadler’s Wells held a series of collaborative design and planning meetings throughout. To add to the challenge, the client had just a two-week ‘dark’ period, or ‘shutdown’ period, in which to remove the old door and install the new one before performances resumed.

The Clark Door team’s attention to detail and the close partnership with our client paid off and the new acoustic door was successfully installed and commissioned with two days to spare.

Auditorium Images © Philip Vile

With a proud heritage of engineering excellence, Clark Door continues to deliver specialist door solutions for theatres, opera houses and arts venues across the UK and around the world. Working closely with local partners, we provide high-performance, cost-effective solutions, including acoustic doors rated up to Rw 56dB and fire resistance up to 120 minutes.