The idea
The legendary Crystal Palace Bowl in South London has hosted the likes of Pink Floyd and Bob Marley, while in 2021 the venue celebrates its 60th birthday.
However, the striking open-air concert stage that sits on the site has been dormant for more than a decade and sadly fallen into a state of disrepair over recent years.
Having recently registered the stage as an Asset of Community Value, we’re now determined to reboot the 'Rusty Laptop’- as its affectionately known by locals.
With your support, our first step would be to resurface the large stage floor area with a durable new timber decking and undertake essential maintenance works in the back-of-house structure.
This would allow the venue to form a striking backdrop to live music, dance and drama and make the space safe for the community to explore and enjoy as we work to define its future.
So please pledge to #BackTheBowl and help us fund a new stage and a new start, for the Rusty Laptop in Crystal Palace Park!
What we'll deliver
- - Remove the current stage flooring, which is deteriorated and unsafe.
- - Renew the 375 square metre stage area with a new, durable and long lasting Ekki timber flooring.
- - Maintenance of the essential back-of-house services and facilities.
Why it's a great idea
Our project will bring back to life an iconic yet unused space in the historic Crystal Palace Park, making sure that the surrounding communities can once again celebrate and enjoy a landmark on their doorsteps that’s unlike any other in London.
Over the past two years we've seen huge support for the campaign to revive this beloved landmark and received strong engagement via public consultation, for ways in which the venue could provide improved facilities and a focal point for local residents and park users.
Steps to get it done
- Feb - May 2021 - Campaign launch and fundraising
- May - June 2021 - Detailed design and specification finalised
- Summer 2021 - Current stage cleared, new surface installed and maintenance works completed
- September 2021 - Open House London and community events
The Concert Bowl itself is a striking, sculptural piece of public architecture; designed by Ian Ritchie Architects and nominated for the prestigious RIBA Stirling Prize.
The new stage surface will consist of 375 square metres of Ekki timber: a long-lasting and low maintenance marine hardwood, from FSC certified sustainable sources - as used on the community-led and award winning Hastings Pier restoration project.
This highly durable surface, with a lifespan in excess of 25 years, will make the stage safe and usable for many years to come.
