THE Birmingham Rep Theatre is a theatre for everyone. It creates entertaining shows for anyone who lives in Birmingham or visits for the day. The theatre consists of performances at The House, The Door, and The Studio.

Founded by Sir Barry Jackson, the theatre has famous hits including East is East that premiered in 1996, as well as well-known productions including the likes of The Snowman based on the classic by Raymond Briggs. This theatre is also where the Sir Barry Jackson Trust made The Birmingham Rep a theatre charity back in 1935.

The project
Following the acquisition in 2021 of CAT by the COBA Group, the sales teams of COBA Flooring and CAT are increasingly working together on projects where clients are looking for entrance matting and floor-trim solutions. This project is described as a great demonstration of how our brands can collaborate for the benefit of the customer.

Four products were installed around The Birmingham Rep Theatre. To spruce up the entrance, COBA’s Plan.a 17mm Closed Construction with Charcoal Needlepunch Inserts was used, which was further complimented by CAT’s BC38 in Antique Bronze to cover the expansion gap around the timber to either side of the entrance.

Elsewhere in the building, BC38 was also used along with BN1 Antique Bronze nosings, and BN7 Satin Brass nosings on various staircases.

‘They look superb,’ says the company. ‘Against the wide windows and the light flooring panels, these products provide a great entrance and interior finish to welcome theatregoers. The client will know that the steps and walkways will look outstanding for years to come, and internal floor surfaces are now protected from dirt and debris brought in underfoot, as visitors enter the building to watch their favourite performance.’

The project was specified by Macaulay Sinclair which were interior design architects. ‘CAT was able to help as we bridged the floorcoverings around the curved sections of the theatre’s flooring design. The CAT team curved the BC38 and provided it with an antique finish so it matched the nosing on the lower level.’

The client selected these products from a range of samples provided by account manager, Ed Wells. CAT says it’s proud to be a manufacturer, providing 100% solid brass nosings which help add the final touch to ‘superb projects like this one’.

Handmade in the UK, Plan.a is described as a premium matting solution with a range of inserts and options. The Needlepunch carpet inserts chosen for the Birmingham Rep Theatre are made from durable polypropylene fibres, suitable for trapping dirt and moisture in busy entrance areas.

The stair-nosings were ordered and installed between October and Christmas 2021. COBA Flooring’s installation team fitted the matting, with the nosings and floor trims installed by Intex projects.
www.cobaflooring.com