The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic has today submitted a planning application and listed building consent to Liverpool City Council(LCC) for its proposed £12 million refurbishment of the Grade II* listed Liverpool Philharmonic Hall.
Having successfully applied for seed funding of £634,000 from Arts Council England (ACE) in 2012, Liverpool Philharmonic appointed architects Caruso St. John to lead a team in developing the designs for the refurbishment of the 1939 concert hall, which is the home of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, and one of the UK’s premier arts and entertainment venues. 2014 is the 75th anniversary of the current Hall opening its doors.
Designs for the refurbishment provide:
- significant improvements to front of house areas and facilities for all visitors and participants including the foyer, box office, bars and catering, toilets and lift access to all levels of the building
- rebuilding and improving the stage and choir performance areas in the auditorium
- new warm-up, practice and backstage facilities for resident and visiting musicians and artists
- an exciting new performance space for a range of small-scale concerts, learning events and other activities
- increased environmental sustainability, including the ability to reduce power consumption across the building’s utilities.
Following the appointment of Caruso St. John, Liverpool Philharmonic has been seeking to secure the necessary public investment for the refurbishment of the Hall, including a further £7.5 million investment from ACE.
ACE will make a decision on Liverpool Philharmonic’s Stage Two application to its Capital Grants programme in by June.
LCC has agreed a capital contribution of £2 million, contingent on Liverpool Philharmonic successfully attracting the additional investment from ACE, and a range of other, private funding sources. These will include the launch in September 2013 of a public giving campaign to meet the £12 million cost of the planned refurbishment to the Hall. LCC will also update and refresh the leasing agreement, operated by Liverpool Philharmonic, on the LCC-owned building.
Subject to making a successful planning application and securing the required investment for the refurbishment, Liverpool Philharmonic will commence works to the Hall in Spring 2014, with the venue undergoing a period of closure until the end of October 2014.
The full programme of works will be completed during 2015, the 175th anniversary of the founding of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic.
