Royal Pavilion Estate – next piece of the jigsaw falls into place

A helicopter flew in to Brighton at first light this morning to position two essential pieces of equipment on the roof of the historic Dome Concert Hall.

Two dry air coolers were carefully lowered into position as part of ongoing work to restore and refurbish the Royal Pavilion Estate.

The coolers will provide climate control for Brighton Museum and the Dome Concert Hall. They replaced units that had to be taken out to allow restoration of the building to create new public galleries and a creation space.

Phase One of  the Royal Pavilion Estate project involves improvements to the Dome Concert Hall, Corn Exchange and Studio Theatre.  Reviving long-lost heritage features and creating new state-of-the-art facilities, key developments include a magnificent Corn Exchange viewing gallery, a dedicated creative space for workshops and rehearsals, and a new street-facing café opening out onto New Road.

The lower end of Church Street and New Road were closed for around half an hour to allow the helicopter to fly overhead so that contractors could carefully position the units.

Council leader Daniel Yates said:  “It is exciting to see this project taking shape. This is such a well-loved area of the city and a unique central space for arts and culture. Teams from the council and Brighton Dome & Brighton Festival are working together to refurbish these iconic buildings for all to enjoy now and in the future.”

The Royal Pavilion Estate is made up of the Royal Pavilion, Brighton Museum & Art Gallery, Brighton Dome Concert Hall, the Corn Exchange and Studio Theatre, with the Royal Pavilion Garden linking the buildings. Attracting more than 1.2 million  people a year, the estate’s venues make a significant cultural and economic contribution to Brighton & Hove’s residents and visitors.

More information about the Royal Pavilion Estate 

More information about work to the Dome Concert Hall, Corn Exchange and Studio Theatre