The aim of the Open Up architectural complex is to turn the Royal Opera House into an all-day cultural and social centre, with a multidisciplinary and inclusive vision. This delicate and audacious intervention, the work of Stanton Williams, was created to attract other audiences to opera and ballet, while respecting the heritage and uniqueness of the ROH. The resulting new spaces, especially in the lobby, are both elegant and contemporary thanks to the use of a limited selection of traditional materials that offer a modern and energetic language. These include the Levantina marble Mediterranean Pearl, unique in the company's selection of cream marbles due to the luminosity it radiates into interiors, full of Mediterranean nuances.
This Original Stone is in fluid harmony with the other materials used: American black walnut, polished plaster and patinated brass.
This marble with ivory colours covers the entire floor of the public areas, giving them a warm, friendly and serene feel. It is also the main material covering the stairs, like a continuous skin that visually expands the space and accentuates its personality thanks to its honed finish. Its natural and immersive texture is complemented by an enviable resistance, making it highly suitable for withstanding the foot traffic in the interconnected areas of the lobby, and on the way down to the ground floor, where Linbury Theatre is located.
