Take a sneak peek at town hall revamp
It cost just £50,000 to open Paisley Town Hall 139 years ago, the legacy of thread baron George Aitken Clark.
The refurbishment currently well underway is costing a mind-boggling 440 times that.
Pictures are showing the stage the
£22 million future-proofing of the building is at.
Work has been delayed due to virus restrictions, but contractors are now getting stuck in.
Renfrewshire Council is turning it into a “landmark entertainment venue” with capacity in the main hall increasing to 1,200.
At the moment the giant stage has been ripped out, revealing a vast area underneath.
Throughout the building additions throughout the decades have been removed, taking it back to the original state.
It was in late 2018 the doors were shut and all stripping out has now been completed.
A spokesman said:“The work we are now doing will preserve the wonderful Victorian architectural features.
“But new facilities will help ensure this unique building’s long-term future at the heart of life in the town. That includes new rooms being created inside previously-unused spaces.
“They will be used as a dance studio, new café-bar and screening room, and much-improved performance facilities .”
The foundation stone was laid on October 22, 1879.
It opened as the George A. Clark Town Hall on January 30, 1882.
The re-opening is planned for the end of next year.