Phase I of the new Barbados National Performing Arts Centre, located near the island’s capital of Bridgetown, was completed in August 2025. With Phase II scheduled for completion in 2026, the centre will house several local musical and theatrical ensembles and will also host international performances.
Designed by London-based Adjaye Associates, the centre aims to be the Caribbean’s premier destination for performing arts, cinema, conferences and cultural events. It includes dedicated spaces for rehearsals, catering and gala events, offering modern, flexible facilities for both national and regional use.
© Peter Maier / Courtesy of StructureCraft
The first phase opened with a full staging of Mansa Musa at Carifesta XV (The Caribbean Festival of the Arts). The structure used for this event is a timber pavilion built temporarily on the permanent foundations that will be completed in Phase II. This approach provided Barbadians with an immediate cultural venue while progressing the long-term vision of a national performing arts hub and promoting low-carbon architecture across the Caribbean.
StructureCraft served as the centre’s structural engineer and timber contractor, developing an all-wood pavilion that demonstrates how sustainable materials can deliver both civic appeal and technical performance. The temporary pavilion was designed to be compatible with the permanent building, reducing waste and extending the life of materials by allowing key components to be reconfigured and reused in the final structure.
© Peter Maier / Courtesy of StructureCraft
The pavilion’s sloped perimeter canopies are designed so they can be adapted as part of the permanent roof in Phase II. Slender tension cables tie the sloped columns back to the foundations, forming a lateral bracing system engineered to withstand hurricane-force winds. By building the temporary pavilion on the permanent foundations, the project minimizes material waste and sets a sustainable precedent by effectively creating two functional buildings from the same structural elements.
StructureCraft and Adjaye Associates plan for the existing timber frame and foundations to remain as the core of the completed complex. The finished 85,000-square-foot Performance Centre will include a 1,500-seat auditorium, rehearsal studios, public terraces and a range of cultural amenities designed to support diverse programming and community engagement.
© Peter Maier / Courtesy of StructureCraft
Plans in 2026 also incorporate the Barbados Heritage District Masterplan, a cultural precinct set to develop across a 150-acre site adjacent to the historic Newton Enslaved Burial Ground. Backed by the government of Barbados, the Heritage District is intended to become a focal point for major cultural institutions, strengthening archival preservation and interpretation, hosting prominent performing arts events, and safeguarding extensive records that document the history and development of Transatlantic enslaved societies.