Makeover to Plymouth Guildhall 'to bring the buzz back to landmark building'
Contractors TEC Construction will take over the building this week
Plymouth's Guildhall is to get an internal makeover in what the council say they hope will 'bring the buzz back to this landmark building'.
The contractors are taking over this week ahead of what'll be a major overhaul - which'll involve installing features such as acoustic curtains in the Great Hall, acoustic panels from the ceiling.
The roof trusses are also being strengthened and there's going to be modular staging.
Whilst the toilets on the ground floor and within the Lounge Bar will also be refurbished, and a commercial kitchen installed adjacent to the Great Hall.
For accessibility, a ramp for wheelchairs and prams is being created to improve access outside.
There'll also be better lighting and upgraded WiFi.
It's costing £3.9m - thanks to cash from the Future High Streets Fund - with the major upgrade happening to what's a regionally significant building, having been reduced to just a shell during the Blitz.
It was one of the few damaged buildings to be restored rather than rebuilt, with the restoration continuing through most of the 1950s.
Councillor Chris Penberthy, Cabinet Member for Housing, Cooperative Development and Community, said: “This is a massively important building for the city and it deserves to be back in the spotlight and play a bigger part in people’s lives and the life of the city centre.
“It’s played host to some incredible artists – Bowie, Queen and the Who in the 70s, but the needs of bands, orchestras and events organisers have changed over the years. It’s great to see the work get underway.”
We're told these changes will be 'sympathetic to the building's character' which Historic England describe as a ‘rare and unusually rich example’ of an unaltered `Festival of Britain' interior.
Some of the main features include an imposing black and white marble staircase, a mural depicting famous sons of Plymouth and the city's maritime history and three stunning 1950s chandeliers.
A separate programme of restoration for the Guildhall’s exterior has just been completed to clean and repair the effects of decades of pollution and salty sea air, which has damaged stonework and detailing.
The project completed by early next summer.