The Howard Theatre at Downing College, University of Cambridge, sits amidst 20 acres of lawns and trees and yet it is within half a mile of the historic centre of Cambridge. The buildings date back to the beginning of the 19th century and are predominantly neo-classical in style conveying a sense of elegance and spaciousness. Downing is a College of the University of Cambridge which was founded in 1800 through a bequest made by Sir George Downing. It is home to a lively and diverse scholarly community, including about 420 undergraduates, 220 graduates and 53 fellows, supported by over 130 staff. More information about our conference venue including links to location information can be found at this link.
The Howard Theatre
The Howard Theatre is unique in that it combines the latest technologies with traditional classic architecture. Inside the theatre, the decorative ceiling evokes the spirit of Georgian theatre and has been designed by Francis Terry of Quinlan and Francis Terry LLP, while the front-of-house curtain has been designed by Francis Terry as a Grecian street scene, portraying the College among images of classical Greek architecture. The tiered flooring houses auditorium seats crafted from the finest Italian leathers, with upright seating along the side galleries on the first and second floor.
The Howard Theatre is an environmentally-sustainable building with the following features:
- Ground-source heating and cooling throughout the building.
- Solar panels fitted to the Welsh slate roof provide an additional water heating source.
- An exterior structure made from Ketton stone, giving the building both grace and thermal efficiency.
- Rain water harvesting for flushing the toilets and maintaining the allied landscaping.