Stratford theatre to become music venue after Newham Council agree
A disused theatre seconds from Stratford High Street DLR station is to see a new lease of life after a decision from Newham Council.
As a council report states, it was proposed to demolish the structure: “Since 2017, proposals for the Rex site have focused on demolition and redevelopment for residential use due to its existing use as a theatre not being considered viable”.
That’s now changed as the Columbo Group will take over operation to create Jazz Café East having run sites such as The Old Queen’s Head in Islington, Phonox in Brixton and being behind live music events such as Eastern Electrics.
Newham’s Cabinet agreed the move at a meeting last week with an intention for live music five nights a week.
Wider site
Last year I took a few photos in this area as Newham have long planned to do something on a sizeable area of land behind.
Hence these photos on the site today. A total of 179 homes were proposed from the authority’s developer Populo.
Much of the site has sat mostly empty for many years since Newham repossessed it back in 2013.
Opened as a theatre and opera house in 1896 it then became a cinema until closure in 1969 after which it turned into a bingo hall and later the Stratford Rex nightclub.
The Theatres Trust page has a few historic images to view.
Street design
Hopefully it’ll bring some life to this part of Stratford which despite many high density buildings always feels pretty lifeless at street level.
Poor integration of towers with the street doesn’t help and neither does the High Street’s road design.
That wide central reserve doesn’t help create a cohesive streetscape. Scruffy landscaping hampers views as paving is narrow.
Changes in recent decades including pre and post-Olympics here are a textbook example of how badly wide avenues are often designed in this country both in terms of public realm and how buildings relate to the street.
The theatre is by far one of the better examples of how to address a street with its corner treatment showing up designs from 100+ years later.
There is a bridge over the DLR here but that alone doesn’t excuse how poor much of the street is.
In the above image there was a plan for new homes but those were blocked.
Further west a tower with a separate music venue has been approved.
