Shaftesbury Theatre (1888)

The Shaftesbury Theatre you see today on the corner of Shaftesbury Avenue and High Holborn opened in 1911. It was originally named the New Princes Theatre and stands as the final venue constructed on this famous theatrical street. Architect Bertie Crewe completed the project in less than six months. The building holds the title of the first steel-framed playhouse in London, a structural innovation that allowed for a wide, open auditorium interior. You can still see original Renaissance-style features like the high-level Diocletian windows and the prominent grand cupola on the exterior.