New £12m foyer to be built at Symphony Hall
BIRMINGHAM’S renowned Symphony Hall is to undergo a £12 million overhaul 25 years after it opened.
The venue’s foyer is to be remodelled to open the building out onto Centenary Square, which itself is undergoing a major revamp.
The venue currently shares an entrance with the adjoining International Convention Centre and is home to the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. It also hosts numerous other concerts and shows every year as well as political party conferences.
Recent acts to have performed there include Russell Brand, Tony Bennett, Jimmy Carr, Kraftwerk and Robert Plant.
Glasgow-based Page\Park Architects has now been appointed to lead the team which is working on more detailed designs for the revamp.
Symphony Hall chief executive Nick Reed said: “This project will finally give Symphony Hall the foyers and public spaces to match its world class auditorium.
“Boasting a much-improved audience experience and a dedicated entrance, this permeable space will be energised with new artistic adventures, creating a sustainable future for Symphony Hall and developing an audience that looks like the city it serves.
“Page\Park has presented some inspiring ideas on how the building can help achieve our objectives and we look forward to now working with them to develop the detailed design.
“We are very grateful for the early both encouragement offered by the Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership and the Arts Council of England and we are now preparing final funding bids with both bodies.” David Page, head of architecture at Page\Park, added: “Birmingham’s Centenary Square is being transformed into a remarkable heart of the city with its assembly of important civic cultural buildings. The new Symphony Hall frontage will provide a multi-levelled balcony to that new setting and Page\Park is delighted to be able to shape that contribution.”
The project is being supported by the Greater Birmingham & Solihull Local Enterprise partnership (LEP) via its the Local Growth Fund.
Director Roger Mendonca said: “For more than 25 years, Symphony Hall has been a major draw for Greater Birmingham and Solihull, entertaining audiences in one of the finest world.
“The LEP’s contribution to Symphony Hall is part of our commitment to sustaining the region’s cultural and tourism offer, coming hot on the heels of Birmingham’s 2022 Commonwealth Games prize and Coventry’s 2021 City of Culture win.
“By supporting the venue’s extension, we are ensuring Symphony Hall transforms its commercial offer, generates new jobs and enhances the experience of its many visitors.” concert auditoriums in the