Canterbury's new £25.6m Marlowe Theatre - designed by Keith Williams Architects - will open its doors for the first time on 4 October, following a two-year construction project.

Work started in 2009 with the demolition of the old theatre building, which was first opened in the 1930s as an Odeon Cinema before being turned into a theatre during the mid-1980s. Located next to the River Stour, the new-build Marlowe Theatre will incorporate a 1,200-seat main auditorium set over three levels and including an orchestra pit for 80 musicians.

Canterbury City Council (CCC) will manage and own the venue, which will accommodate an extensive range of alternative, community and educational projects in the Marlowe Studio. Bars, cafés, a riverside walk and a piazza have also been created as part of the scheme, which has received funding from CCC, Kent County Council and the regional development agency.

CCC head of culture and enterprise Janice McGuinness said: "This spectacular contemporary building sits in the heart of the heritage city and will provide an important stimulus for the creative and tourism economies. "It will generate business for many of the city's restaurants, hotels and shops, providing nearly 300 jobs and contributing around £23m each year to the local economy."

Keith Williams added: "The new Marlowe is that very rare thing - a major new contemporary theatre building within a magnificent historic cathedral city. "The architecture is radical, yet it has been conceived to fit comfortably within its historic surroundings."