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Saville Theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue, London

West End’s Saville Theatre returns to its original theatre use after securing resolution to grant planning permission from Camden Council.

29 April 2025

Design: SPPARC

Location: Shaftesbury Avenue, London, UK

Images by SPPARC

West End’s Saville Theatre to return to theatre use after 55 years

• London architects SPPARC to restore original use to the West End’s Grade II listed Saville Theatre after more than half a century following planning approval
• The 1930s-era venue boasts a star-studded history of live performance including Jimi Hendrix and the Rolling Stones
• SPPARC is lead architect on the regeneration of the historic Olympia exhibition centre in collaboration with Heatherwick studio, which includes the UK’s largest purpose-built theatre since the National Theatre in 1976
• The studio is also behind the masterplan for Camden Film Quarter, set to create London’s most significant inner city film studio complex

Saville Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue Building News

LONDON, 29 April 2025 – Award-winning London architecture studio SPPARC is set to return the West End’s Grade II listed Saville Theatre to its original use after more than half a century following planning permission and listed building consent granted by the London Borough of Camden.

Designed on behalf of Yoo Capital, the SPPARC scheme will restore live performance to the Art Deco venue while also introducing a new boutique hotel operated by citizenM.

Set to host two shows a night, the revived Saville Theatre sits prominently within London’s West End, whose theatres contribute nearly £1 billion to the UK’s economy every year. Key to London’s cultural offering, Theatreland welcomed a record 17.3 million visitors from across the world in 2023.

Originally designed by English architect Sir Thomas Bennett, the Saville Theatre first opened its doors at 135-149 Shaftesbury Avenue in 1931. One of the largest West End theatres of its day, the Saville hosted regular plays and musicals throughout the 1930s to 1960s. Surviving Blitz damage, the theatre doubled as a live music venue from 1966 onwards under the direction of Beatles manager Brian Epstein, hosting acts at the forefront of London’s Swinging Sixties scene including Jimi Hendrix, the Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, Eric Clapton and The Who.

Its original interiors were lost by the time it was transformed into a two-screen cinema in 1970, with two further screens added after it became an Odeon in 2001.

SPPARC’s proposals seek to ensure the Saville Theatre is once again a world-class live performance venue. The studio will re-introduce a flexible up to 622-capacity theatre with seating arranged across three levels, accessed via the reimagined historic entrance on Shaftesbury Avenue. The revived theatre draws inspiration from its lost 1930s predecessor, while reimagined to meet the expectations of contemporary audiences with its greater comfort, enhanced front of house experience across each level of the auditorium and unrestricted sightlines from every seat.

Given modern audiences’ hunger for variety in the way performing arts are experienced, the Saville has been designed for maximum flexibility. The internal arrangement of the auditorium can be re-configured into a range of formats, including theatre in the round, a thrust stage or traditional proscenium arch, to adapt to occupiers’ requirements for decades to come.

Complementing the theatre with much-needed high-quality accommodation for West End visitors, SPPARC will introduce additional floors for a new boutique citizenM hotel, the affordable luxury operator’s fifth London location. The hotel’s architectural design celebrates both the Saville’s rich history and its future by balancing heritage with a bold modernity. Adopting a soft sculptural masonry façade with perforated woven brick inspired by a stage curtain, the upper-level additions arch around the original Shaftesbury Avenue theatre entrance, folding and curving to celebrate the retained position of New Compton Street’s original fly tower.

SPPARC’s transformation of the Grade II listed building will see the much-needed restoration of its deteriorating exterior, acclaimed for its Art Deco simplicity and restrained use of red and brown brick. The careful restoration will include repair and cleaning of its original 40-metre-long frieze by British sculptor Gilbert Bayes, Drama Through the Ages, described by Historic England as one of the most important sculptural works of its age. The original 1930s glazed arched window above the theatre’s main entrance will also be brought into practical use for the first time, dappling natural light into the four-storey high foyer. This publicly accessible, enlarged entrance seeks to return street level activity to this prominent position on Shaftesbury Avenue, encouraging footfall between Cambridge Circus, St Giles and Seven Dials.

Both the theatre and hotel are targeting a BREEAM Excellent rating.

Trevor Morriss, Principal at SPPARC, said: “Our ambitious vision will return the Saville Theatre to its rightful position as a cultural landmark at the heart of London’s West End, a key part of the UK’s cultural offering and rivalled only by New York’s Broadway when it comes to global theatre destinations. The addition of a hotel not only supports visitor experience with suitable accommodation, but is also historically relevant, reflected in buildings of a similar age like The Savoy.

“With the design inspired by the building’s fascinating history, the Saville’s long-awaited revival will meet the needs of contemporary theatre goers to allow it to once again host world class live performance for the next 100 years and beyond.”

SPPARC’s extensive experience with the culture-led revival of Britain’s heritage architecture includes the £1.3 billion transformation of London’s Olympia into a wider cultural destination. Set to open in phases from the second half of this year, Olympia marks 2025’s biggest European regeneration project. Its new purpose-built theatre, the 1,575-seat Olympia Theatre, marks the UK’s largest since the National Theatre in 1976. SPPARC is also appointed on the masterplan for Camden Film Quarter, also on behalf of Yoo Capital, set to house the inner city’s most significant film studio complex. In 2021, the studio completed the RIBA Award-winning mixed-use Borough Yards district, which links London’s famous Borough Market to the Thames by reviving a lost medieval street pattern.

Saville Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue – Building Information

Project data:

Gross internal floor area:
Theatre: 3,688m² GIA
Hotel: 6,097m² GIA
Ancillary: 1,291m²
Total: 11,076m² GIA

Architect: SPPARC
Developer: Yoo Capital
Planning: Montagu Evans
Heritage: Montagu Evans
Energy & Sustainability: Hoare Lea
Building Services & Utilities: Hoare Lea
Structural & Civil Engineering: Elliot Wood
Acoustics: Hoare Lea
Landscaping: RPS Group
Inclusive Design: Burro Happold
Quantity Surveyor: Gardiner & Theobold

Previously on e-architect:

Updated 4 April + 27 March 2024

Architect: SPPARC

Location: Shaftesbury Avenue, central London, England

Images: SPPARC

Saville Theatre, London

SPPARC’s proposals for Yoo Capital include the restoration and repair of the building’s distinctive 1930s Art Deco facade, including its Gilbert Bayes frieze, one of the era’s most important pieces of art, and will reveal a large glazed window obscured from view for generations to create an impressive new entrance foyer. Inside, the studio will reintroduce a live performance space into the building for the first time in over 50 years.

SPPARC is also appointed as lead consultant on Yoo Capital’s £1.3 billion regeneration of Olympia London.

Yoo Capital, the renowned real estate investment firm recognised for its transformative mixed-use developments, proudly announces the submission of a planning application to Camden Council for the revitalisation of The Saville Theatre (‘the Saville’), located at 135 Shaftesbury Avenue, WC2H 8AH.

Since its inception in 1930, The Saville has been an integral part of London’s esteemed “West End”. Yoo Capital’s acquisition of the site in 2021 marked the beginning of a visionary journey to restore the Saville to its former glory and reclaim its position as one of Shaftesbury Avenue’s premier entertainment destinations.

In a collaboration of creative entities, Yoo Capital has engaged with esteemed partners to realise its ambitious vision for the development. Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group, the global leader in live entertainment, is working closely with Yoo Capital on the plans to develop The Saville into a venue that would introduce a one-of-a-kind artistic experience to London and the wider UK audience. The wider plans for the site will look to incorporate a citizenM hotel – the brand’s sixth location in London – and a comprehensive F&B offering provided by Incipio Group, who specialise in curating beautiful spaces with vibrant atmospheres for great times.

Lloyd Lee, Managing Partner, Yoo Capital, said:
“The Saville Theatre is steeped in experiences and heritage, having played host to many of the world’s most iconic entertainers over the years.

“We are delighted to be taking the next step in the theatre building’s history, submitting plans that will restore the site to its former glory with the ambition to be the home of another iconic live performance group for years to come.

“We are committed to revitalising The Saville Theatre for the future and creating the next chapter of its story within the legendary West End skyline, and providing benefits to the local community.”

The plans for the Saville’s restoration have been designed by SPPARC, the London-based architecture studio and lead consultant co-designing Yoo Capital’s £1.3 billion redevelopment of Olympia London. Building on its extensive experience of reimagining London’s rich heritage fabric, SPPARC’s remodelling proposals include the restoration and repair of the building’s distinctive Art Deco façade including the highly acclaimed Gilbert Bayes frieze, one of the few remaining features from the original 1931 design. Inside, SPPARC will reintroduce a live performance space into the building for the first time in over 50 years.

The proposals sensitively acknowledge the theatre’s original layout by reworking the Shaftesbury Avenue entrance to fully reveal the distinctive large glazed arch window that has been hidden from view for generations to create an impressive new entrance foyer and light filled feature stair into the impressive auditorium.

Working with local stakeholders and the Theatres Trust, SPPARC’s designs have been informed by a proactive approach to community consultation over the past 24 months.

This significant milestone follows extensive consultation and engagement discussions with local groups, emphasising the commitment to fostering strong connections between future partners, the venue, and the surrounding community. Leveraging its proven track record in delivering complex developments in London, Yoo Capital remains dedicated to engaging with local stakeholders, including Camden Council and residents’ groups, to ensure that the project delivers significant benefits and opportunities for the community.

Trevor Morriss, Principal Architect at SPPARC, said: “Our plans for the Saville Theatre will ensure this renowned venue synonymous with pivotal cultural moments in history will once again become a focal point for London’s creative scene.

“It has been a pleasure to work collaboratively with many stakeholders including the local community and Yoo Capital to devise a scheme for world class performance, complementing the surrounding area with a new theatre of the highest quality for live performances, while restoring and protecting a valuable piece of the city’s history, both culturally and architecturally.”

Architects: SPPARC – https://spparcstudio.com/

Renders: SPPARC

Saville Theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue, London images/information received 270324

Location: Shaftesbury Avenue, central London, England, UK