Alan Finch CBE
It is with deep sadness to those of us at ritchie*studio who worked alongside Alan when we learnt that he had died 10th September aged 61, and so quickly after being diagnosed with cancer in May.
After winning the architectural competition in 1997, we worked with former Chief Executive, Adrian Viken CBE and with Alan as technical Director and later when he became General Manager designing and realising the Theatre Royal Plymouth TR2.
TR2 theatre production centre is now legendary globally as the most wonderful and practical environment to make theatre, from music and theatrical rehearsals and props through to complete prefabricated stage sets on a major scale. It is the backbone of PTR’s financial health and brings significant economic support to the region. It is Alan’s best built legacy because within it the making of great theatre, dance and musical theatre for the world will continue for decades.
The architecture garnered many awards – the Royal Fine Art Commission Trust Building of the Year, RIBA Awards and the American Institute of Architects Design Excellence (2003). TR2 was shortlisted for the RIBA Stirling Prize (2003) and EU Mies Award (2005). Alan’s contribution was immeasurable.
ritchie*studio is grateful to both Adrian and Alan for their rigeur in defining a truly unique brief and their outstanding commitment, at every stage, to achieve the architecture’s spatial and built qualities, and the layers of innovation for which it is renowned.
Alan left TRP in 2005 and became Executive Director at Chichester Festival Theatre where he worked alongside Jonathan Church as Artistic Director (now co-AD at the RSC with Tamara Harvey). During his time in Chichester Alan invited ritchie*studio to prepare a masterplan (2008) to visualise its much-needed future accommodation and renovation of its theatres and to help prepare for a role as a Cultural Olympiad Centre (2009). Alan led the project to open the Steven Pimlott Education and Rehearsal Building at CFT (2009) which increased CFT’s young people’s outreach capacity across the region alongside his support for Chichester Festival Youth Theatre
Alan was a wonderful, cheerful, knowledgeable and caring leader, and we share Alan’s loss with all his theatre colleagues who worked with him and offer our sincere condolences to his family.
Alan Finch CBE photo: Matt Crockett
