Hepburn Associates awarded the contract for the catering equipment supply and fit-out of the bars and kitchen areas to Space Catering Equipment, who then worked in close partnership with the company to ensure the fit-out standards were met.
The Curve is a fantastic, flexible space equipped with all the very latest technology, bringing theatre-goers a diverse season of plays, performances and spectacles. Architect Rafael Viñoly’s striking design does away with the traditional barriers between performers and audience and front and back of house, opening up the auditoria to be part of the whole experience of being at The Curve.
The same is true for the café-bar areas, with two eateries and five bars serving up to a thousand show-goers at once. These are deliberately designed to draw people in from the outside and provide a vantage point for experiencing the day-to-day life of a producing theatre.
Flexibility, speed and optimum space usage were all vital to the smooth-running of the food and beverage operation. This literally extends to all floors of the curved building, requiring a suite of production and hospitality kitchens and bars for serving hot food and drink throughout the day plus the perfect G&T during the interval.
Hepburn Associates specified bar and catering equipment for all the theatre’s catering areas, building in some clever space-saving devices. They also chose hard-working back bar equipment including six Classeq Duo machines to wash and dry 25 glasses in just two minutes, for all the static and mobile bars. Each glasswash area has two glasswashers so the team can load one while the other is in use, ensuring a plentiful supply of crystal clean glasses when the interval bell rings.
Space’s team, led by project manager Steve Fear took care of the installation from start to finish, working closely with Hepburn Associates to get everything up and running in time for the official theatre opening, and making post-installation visits to ensure the kitchens and bars continued to operate smoothly.
“Space worked well alongside our team and did a good job at every stage of the installation, carefully interpreting our designs and making them a reality,” says Kevin Tyson of Hepburn Associates. “Their effective project management skills, professional approach and willingness to go the extra mile combined with our own vision to create a scheme the client and ultimately the people of Leicester can truly be proud of and enjoy for many years to come.”