Built in 1847 as a turntable railway engine shed for steam locomotives, the Roundhouse has been used as a venue for music and theatre since 1966. Having hosted performers such as Jimi Hendrix, the Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin and The Doors, the Roundhouse has always enjoyed an excellent international reputation. But its closure in the 1980s meant that the arts venue lay empty until The Roundhouse Trust was established to embark on a major redevelopment of the building. Despite its historic importance, it was widely acknowledged that the building needed to change in order to aid its future development as a performance venue and a creative center for young people. The main auditorium needed much more flexibility to allow for a greater variety of contemporary programming, while sensitivity to the original fabric of the building was critical to retaining its historic cultural identity. The renovated Roundhouse reopened as a venue capable of hosting contemporary theatre and musical events, but one which retains the original ambience of this celebrated space.