The Redevelopment of Howden Park Centre, Livingston
The redeveloped Howden Park Centre (HPC) will be a landmark destination in West Lothian where everyone, especially young people and their families, feels welcome and comfortable. A place to perform the arts, see the arts and be surrounded by art, whether that is the motivation for the visit or not.
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The design, by the internationally acclaimed Nicoll Russell Studios, features the construction of a new 300 seat auditorium extending the existing building. A new two-storey glass front repositions the entrances opening the building to people approaching on public transport via the busy St John's Hospital site. |
The building will retain its existing character though the number and flexibility of the spaces will increase, allowing people to do different arts activities at the same time. The redevelopment will strengthen Howden Park Centre's position as a first choice venue for national touring companies. For the first time musicians and artists will have fully-equipped backstage facilities.
| The addition of new purpose-built offices will make Howden Park Centre the creative and administrative hub of the arts in West Lothian. |
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West Lothian has the youngest population of any local authority in Scotland. Howden Park Centre will be a Livingston venue for young people. West Lothian Youth Theatre (WLYT) will have a dedicated space for its programme of workshops and performances and the new building will house the Council's Arts Education team. Redevelopment will make the building fully accessible to every member of the community for the first time. During the first full operational year of the new Centre 40,000 people are expected to take part in arts activities.
The redevelopment is the centrepiece of West Lothian Council's three-venue arts strategy which began in 2005 with the refurbishment of the Regal Community Theatre in Bathgate and will also see major works undertaken at the Burgh Halls in Linlithgow.
| Supported by the National Lottery through the Scottish Arts Council. | |