Buxton Opera House, Buxton, Derbyshire, UK

Site Details:
Buxton Opera House dates from 1903 and was designed by Frank Matcham, one of Britain’s finest theatre architects. The advent of “talking pictures” in the 1930s saw the building’s conversion into a cinema, but by the 1970s, Buxton Opera House was closed and in need of substantial repair.

Major restoration work was undertaken in 1979, but not all the necessary repairs could be achieved due to funding restrictions. It was not until 1999, with help from a Heritage Lottery Fund grant, that the restoration of Buxton Opera House began again. In addition to restoring the interior décor to its original 1903 splendour this phase of works has included modernisation of public facilities, including the addition of access for disabled persons.

Modern fire protection was also an essential requirement for a popular public venue that stages 250 performances and attracts approximately 120,000 people annually.

Technical Details:
The Opera House has been fitted with an analogue addressable fire detection system. Arranged over three loops, the system incorporates approximately 150 Apollo XP95 devices. These include six Input/Output units that allow the fire system to interface with laser high-sensitivity air sampling units for added fire protection.