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Grade I listed performing arts refurbishment
Located on the banks of the River Great Ouse in King’s Lynn, the St. George’s Guildhall complex is a unique heritage asset with enormous potential to become a major visitor attraction, a landmark performance venue and a vibrant hub for culture, creativity, and local enterprise. As the largest surviving medieval Guildhall in the UK and the oldest working theatre in the UK, the refurbishment project seeks to restore the historic and theatrical potency of this unique space.
The Guildhall is to be a thriving heritage attraction by day, supported by reconfigured foyer space, an improved catering offer and landscaped courtyards. By night, the venue will be an intimate and distinctive performance space hosting audiences of up to 320 people.
The current Fermoy Gallery is to be improved with fabric upgrades and greater floorspace to increase its potential as a nationally recognised gallery. Two further multi-purpose event spaces are also created. Across the remainder of the site, the project looks to return a series of warehouses into use, delivering a range of lettable maker and start-up business spaces to help establish a flourishing community of local creatives.
The project will conserve the existing listed and much-loved buildings through fabric repairs, sensitive modifications to improve functionality, accessibility enhancements, thermal upgrades to fabric, new servicing systems powered by 100% renewable energy, and biodiverse native planting.
Stage 4 started in August 2024 and the project is due to be completed in 2026.
