We have now completed a major refurbishment of St George’s Hall in Bradford, recognised as one of the oldest active concert halls in the UK.
Owned by Bradford Council, the Grade II* listed concert hall has been sympathetically restored to its former glory, ensuring the Hall continues to be an iconic performance venue enjoyed by future generations. The project aimed to restore the iconic original features in the building and create an updated entertainment space and facilities. St George’s Hall was last refurbished in 1983 and had since become in need of repairs. The stonework also remained untouched since 1853 and was severely weathered.
-
The building has undergone extensive restoration including the replacement of stonework -
View of the new retractable stage from the fully refurbished Grand Tier seating -
The new modern café/bar area -
A newly refurbished lobby area showcases the restored Venetian mosaic floor -
A modern upstairs bar will cater for a range of performances at the Hall
The restoration work included:
- Full restoration of all original windows
- Full replacement of the roof including trusses, with slates recycled or replaced
- Reworking, cleaning and relaying of the mosaic floor laid in 1903 by Venetian artists
- Restoring the unique stonework and gargoyles using traditional stone carving and stone sourced from local quarries
- Refurbishing and re-upholstering original seats in the Dress Circle and Grand Tier and changing seating layout to improve comfort and sight lines for the audience
- Important internal plasterwork was restored using traditional methods
St George’s Hall is looking great. The restoration is truly first rate and I do not think it has ever looked better. This really does bring the facilities right up to date and we are so looking forward to welcoming artists, performers and the public to our newly refurbished venue throughout the year.
Adam Renton, General Manager, Bradford Theatres
The site team researched specialist sub-contractors with expertise in heritage refurbishment, ensuring the intricate, complex work was completed to the highest quality and authenticity, working with materials over 100 years old. Specialists included stone masons and experts with lime plasters, lead paints and historical timbers.
The project has transformed the visitor experience through improved sightlines for audiences, and increased space and comfort, whilst ensuring the world class acoustics are unaffected in the auditorium. Modern features include a new retractable stage to allow for more flexible configurations, and upgraded front of house and bar areas.
Henry Boot Construction was tasked to deliver an extremely complicated project, renovating and refurbishing one of the oldest Concert Hall in Europe, St Georges Hall, Bradford. This meant having to address many unknowns and unforeseen throughout the delivery of this project. The team on site worked extremely hard and to a high standard to meet the client's requirements. Their "can-do" and joined-up approach became key to the success of this project.
Christophe Hamard, Senior Project Manager, City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council
