Venue info
The Roundhouse is a 3,300 capacity venue in Chalk Farm, North London. The space plays host to a vast range of music and arts events throughout the year. There is a seated area upstairs and a large main standing space downstairs. Bag searches take place before entry, with no cameras, food or drinks allowed in the venue.
The Roundhouse was built in 1846 and originally used as a turntable engine shed where locomotives were serviced. Early steam trains could mostly only travel forwards and had limited reversal capabilities. A turntable would allow the locomotives to be serviced, then rotated for the return journey - avoiding the need to reverse. In 1867 the space was no longer used as an engine shed and instead used as a warehouse and for a variety of purposes, including a gin store for several years, until it was abandoned before the Second World War.
The venue started its artistic history in 1964, with the establishment of theatre company Centre 42 at the Roundhouse by playwright Arnold Wesker. Centre 42 was named after union movement Article 42, which stated that arts should be for everyone. A host of artists, including The Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix and The Doors, played during the 60s and 70s. In 1983 control was handed from the Greater London Council to the Camden Council, as Centre 42 ran out of funds. The building was unused until 1996, when the building was once again restored as an arts venue. A £29.7m re-development took place in 2004, and the venue now continues to host regular music and arts performances.
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