Regent's Park Open Air Theatre, Regent's Park, London, UK

Project Overview

Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre is one of London’s most celebrated cultural landmarks, attracting over 150,000 visitors annually. To support ever more ambitious productions and improve the resilience of its historic outdoor setting, the theatre embarked on a major programme of works in 2023.

The upgrade focused on expanding the auditorium, introducing new technical galleries and control rooms, and extending seating capacity to over 1,300. This work forms part of a long-term masterplan that has seen sensitive enhancements over the years — such as the use of larch cladding to help structures blend into the woodland environment — while ensuring the venue continues to thrive for future generations.

Safe, Future-Ready Flooring for a Demanding Environment

At the heart of the 2023 improvements was the integration of Dura Composites’ d² GRP flooring systems, chosen for their unrivalled performance in outdoor, high-footfall environments.

Gantry Access in All Weathers:

d² 45mm Mini Mesh Grating provided safe, slip-resistant walkways for lighting technicians working at height. Its proven anti-slip surface ensures reliable performance, even in wet conditions.

Resilient Walkways and Seating Areas:

d² 53mm Solid Top Grating was installed within the raked seating area and across the stage left and stage right technical zones, delivering a robust surface that resists water ingress, protects spaces below, and remains durable under load.

d² 41mm Solid Top Grating was used for the crossover walkway area between the two seating zones to provide safe access underfoot in all weather conditions.

All three of Dura Composites lightweight GRP panel types used at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre helped reduce programme time, avoided disruptive heavy lifting machinery, and cut embodied carbon through their unique design.

Together, these innovations ensure the theatre’s infrastructure is safe, flexible, and future-proof, capable of meeting the technical and environmental challenges of an open-air venue which is exposed to all weathers.
Inclusive Design and Environmental Alignment

Inclusive Design and Environmental Alignment

The theatre’s woodland setting creates a uniquely atmospheric performance space, but also brings demands of weather exposure, safety, and sustainability.

Dura’s modular systems support this vision by:

• Delivering long-life resilience with proven slip resistance, even in heavy rain.
• Enabling future reconfiguration or replacement without wasteful demolition.
• Supporting circular economy goals, as panels can be mechanically repurposed at end of life.

These benefits complement the theatre’s previous sensitive enhancements, such as larch cladding, which was introduced to harmonise with the surrounding landscape. Together, these measures combine aesthetic sensitivity with technical innovation.

This project demonstrates how our d² GRP flooring systems can deliver safe, long-lasting access solutions in even the most challenging environments. At Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, our products not only improved safety and capacity but also respected the unique character of the site. It’s a strong example of how smart, low-carbon design can enhance cultural landmarks whilst supporting future flexibility.

Joe Hunt

Head of Industrial

Our Specialists

Our innovative recyclable products can help accelerate the construction of critical infrastructure. Talk to our experienced team about how you can tap into our specialist knowledge and engineering capability for your project.