Riverfront Theatre

The Lift Shaft has been clad with large sheets of textured, toughened glass. The design was inspired by the movement of water, and the patterns in the mud, in the adjacent river Usk. The Usk has the second-highest tidal range in the world (which, depending on the tide, can reach up to 14 metres) and, at low tide, reveals wide expanses of silt. Continuous, slow-changing, coloured fibre-optic lighting illuminates the glass from above and below.

The design illustrates ambiguous human figures, which appear to either dance or swim through a blue and turquoise watery background. The Screen was made by painting glass enamels onto 18mm fire-resistant Pyrostop glass.

Six glass floorlight covers in the main entrance, and two in the riverside entrance, are illuminated from below.

Commissioner: Newport City Council

Address: Kingsway, Newport, South Wales

Architects: Austin-Smith: Lord

Commissioning Agent: Cywaith Cymru / Artworks Wales