Recycled pianos used to create new theatre space in Glasgow

The project intends to reflect the personal connection that musicians have with their instruments, even after they’ve parted with them. Binns wanted to ‘give pianos a new life’ by making them integral to the atmosphere of the venue and prevent them from ending up in landfill.

An arc was chosen for the auditorium rather than a full amphitheatre to better fit the space, which means up to 80 people can be sat in it at once – though that will probably change due to social distancing measures. The steel hut itself was originally a storage area for grit, which had to be shovelled out and cleared, and 40 pianos were sliced up and reshaped to create the seating.

The final product is quite impressive and at first glance you may not even notice that it’s literally a giant mishmash of recycled piano parts. The venue will need to be reworked slightly to cater to unexpected social distance rules, but the bench layout will make this easier than traditional seats and it’s hoped it’ll be able to open within the next few months.

It’s great to see art, design, and community come together to actively improve an area like Springburn, which has historically struggled with high rates of unemployment and drug abuse. Docherty described the new venue as part of an ‘energy change over the last few years’ for the area and hopefully we’ll see more intuitive ventures such as this in more local communities soon. Who doesn’t want to sit on recycled instruments while at a gig?