Colston Hall in Bristol would close for 18 months with £44m overhaul
BRISTOL’S Colston Hall would have to close down for 18 months if the funding can be won for a complete £44 million overhaul, The Post has learned.
The much-loved building would have to be covered in scaffolding while the work was undertaken, probably starting in 2015 at the earliest.
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Simon Cook in Bristol's Colston Hall
But cabinet councillor Simon Cook, the city’s arts and culture champion, said they would continue to hold gigs and shows at other venues in the city as a temporary measure.
He said: “We are currently working on a theoretical programme of events while the refurbishment was carried out but that of course depends on whether we get the funding.”
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He said other venues which they were considering during the hall’s closure included the Passenger Shed at Temple Meads, open air concerts at the Lloyds amphitheatre on the dockside and smaller events in the hall’s new foyer.
Mr Cook said: “We would not stop working – we would keep going while the hall was closed and we are currently exploring the possibilities.”
A complete overhaul would probably generate at least 200 construction jobs during the programme of work.
Mr Cook said: “Once you start touching a building like this which has been neglected for so many years, you start finding all sorts of things which need doing.
“It’s a big, big job but something that desperately needs doing.”
Three years ago, the concert hall’s new £20 million foyer was opened to create a dramatic new entrance to the building.
But the phased work on the 2,000-seat auditorium was halted because of public spending cuts.
The auditorium needs £10 million worth of repairs just to keep it open as it is.
But Mr Cook is fighting for a complete overhaul as long-term investment for the city.
He believes that if the hall was brought up to modern-day standards, it would help to put Bristol on the international stage and encourage new investment in the city.
The £10 million spend would cover structural work such as roof repairs, new boilers and heating system, re-wiring, re-decorating and creating more balconies to help improve the auditorium’s acoustics.
A complete overhaul would include collapsible seats near the front of the stage to create standing room only for rock gigs. The seats would electronically retract into one of two basements below the auditorium.
The stage and backstage areas would also be completely remodelled and the lower basement would be turned into a venue for jazz gigs as well as studios for workshops.
The former entrance area and the smaller hall would also be re-worked.
Council officers are currently putting together a bid to the Government’s Regional Growth Fund for regeneration projects.
It would be a joint bid for £50-£100 million for both the revamp of the Colston Hall as well as a new arena for the city.
The mayor George Ferguson believes both projects are complementary to each other and desperately needed for the city’s future prosperity.
If the bid was successful, then the council could approach the Arts Council and Heritage Lottery Fund for money to help pay for the revamp.
8 Comments
by mycrowsoffed
Sunday, March 17 2013, 8:55AM
“Architecturally, that part of the Centre is looking very cramped and claustrophobic.We could vastly improve that side of the Centre by razing the entire building and creating a small but pleasant open space with or without a tree or two. Such a project would cost nothing like £44 million to complete.”
by Raviji
Saturday, March 16 2013, 7:32AM
“Why not build a People's Cultural Palace at @harbourside at half the cost with stunning fusion east and west architecture to propel Bristol as the multi culture capital of Europe and UK.”
by Mike_Hope
Friday, March 15 2013, 11:03PM
“I agree we need an arena but have a look at the NIA and LG in Brum to see that most of the bands they attract are AOR rubbish and it's usually filled with tosh like Strictly Come Dancing.”
by Mike_Hope
Friday, March 15 2013, 11:03PM
“I agree we need an arena but have a look at the NIA and LG in Brum to see that most of the bands they attract are AOR **** and it's usually filled with tosh like Strictly Come Dancing.”
by DockLobster
Friday, March 15 2013, 1:16PM
“Knock it down and build an arena...”
by Brennus
Friday, March 15 2013, 12:16PM
“£44 million to refurbish a medium-sized concert hall.
£20 million for a foyer for the same concert hall.
£26 million to convert a shed into an 'm-shed'.
£200 million to run conventional diesel buses down bus lanes whilst calling it 'Rapid Transit'.
Contractors all over the UK are rubbing their hands together with unbridled glee - yes, Bristol City Council is about to launch into another mentally expensive project that costs far, far more than it should.
The Leeds Arena is nearing completion - 13,500 capacity and it's a striking, cutting-edge venue.
http://tinyurl.com/anavlfp
Cost? £60 million. So for just £16 million more than Simon Cook proposes to spend REFURBISHING an existing 2,000 capacity venue, Leeds are getting a brand new 13,500 state-of-the-art venue.
How can that be right?”
by FromMendip
Friday, March 15 2013, 11:57AM
“My thoughts too, DM.
Didn't the mayor 'promise' us an arena before his current term of office expires which will be in 2016?”
by DM_Fishponds
Friday, March 15 2013, 10:08AM
“Didn't we do this story yesterday? http://tinyurl.com/cfb9uo2
Although it is probably worth repeating the underlying subtext:
"Mr Cook admits that he and the LibDems have neglected the Colston Hall for years!"
In the story today, things are so bad at the Colston Hall that Mr Cook, former Executive Member and leader of the LibDems is suggesting that the venue should close for 18 months. But don't worry because the LibDem is proposing that concerts can still be performed either OUTSIDE or in a SHED !
Seriously ?!
Build a new arena first and then refurbish the Colston Hall when we have an alternative venue!”