RAAC - Are cultural venues at risk?

As the government races to contain the fallout of Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) as part of the school-closure crisis last week, Team Blog as esk got thinking about what other structures local and national government could have cut corners on for the sake of cost. 

In May earlier this year, in the small seaside town of Musselburgh in East Lothian, Scotland, the West Lothian Council took the decision to close the local Brunton Hall. A mainstay of entertainment in the local and wider community, Brunton Hall was forced to closed because of the discovery that the entire roof was constructed from Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete. Opened in 1971, it was part of a wave of UK cultural venues opened by local and national government throughout the 1970’s to early 1990’s. It therefore isn’t alone in being designed and constructed with RAAC in what is now recognised as an ‘industry defect’.

Yesterday, Scarborough YMCA theatre – a former school – built in the 1960s had to close owing to the discovery of RAAC. A few hours later, it was announced that Northampton Royal and Derngate Theatre also closed owing to the same discovery of RAAC.

Other venues are likely to follow as major halls and theatres built within this period include The Barbican in London, Southbank Centre in London, Birmingham Symphony Hall, Hexagon at Reading and many others.

So, as the government race to look at schools, it also time that for the safety of all of our audience goers, that we start to look at the structural stability of our concert halls and theatres as well.