RIBA East: Guided Tour of BEAM, Hertford

The newly refurbished BEAM is a vibrant cultural destination in the heart of Hertford. Located on the banks of the River Lea within the town’s historic centre, the multi-arts venue presents a diverse programme of live performance, cinema and community activity across a range of auditoria and flexible event spaces.

Conceived, funded and delivered by East Herts District Council, the project has been recognised with both a RIBA Regional East Award and a Sustainability Award, acknowledging its architectural quality and environmental leadership.

The scheme combines the partial re-use and extension of an existing 1970s theatre building. The original auditorium, stage, fly tower and backstage facilities have been retained and reimagined, while a contemporary new extension introduces three cinema screens, a studio theatre, flexible multi-purpose spaces and an all-day café/bar.

Sustainability has been central to the design approach, establishing BEAM as an exemplar of low-carbon cultural architecture. The project brings together the adaptive re-use of existing structures with innovative cross-laminated timber construction, significantly reducing embodied carbon while enhancing operational performance. BEAM has also acted as a pilot project for the emerging Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard.

This guided tour, led by Bennetts Associates alongside members of the wider design team, offers a unique opportunity to explore the architectural, technical and sustainability ambitions behind BEAM. The tour will provide insight into the adaptive re-use strategy, low-carbon construction approach and the delivery of Hertford’s new multi-arts cultural hub.

Photo Credit: Hufton+Crow

Additional Information:

• This event is open to RIBA Members only
• Please wear appropriate clothing for the weather and comfortable shoes suitable for walking
• Please note that there is no on-site parking available at BEAM. The nearest public parking option is St Andrew Street Car Park (SG14 1HZ).

Terms and Conditions

1. By accepting an invitation or purchasing a ticket you have consented to being photographed, filmed or recorded as a visitor attending the event for all general purposes in relation to the event including without limitation, publicity and promotional purposes. You consent to us using your voice, name and/or likeness, without compensation, for exploitation in promotional and publicity materials, online, books, newspapers, newsletters, magazine articles and social marketing whenever we choose to do so, in perpetuity
2. This venue is accessible and open to all
3. Cancellations must be made in writing to [email protected]. No refunds can be made for cancellations notified within 30 days of the event. To transfer your ticket/s to another individual/s, please contact [email protected].
4. Tickets to be transferred at least 14 days prior to the event. Complimentary tickets are strictly non-transferable.
5. If the RIBA has to postpone or cancel the event the booker is entitled to a full refund of the ticket price only.
6. On entry to the event you agree to accept and abide by any venue rules.
7. The RIBA reserves the right to refuse admission to any ticket holder.
8. The details you provide will be used in line with the RIBA's GDPR obligations. For information on how we will handle your personal data please see our Privacy Policy