Work has begun to build a £20 million landmark foyer building for the southwest’s premier music and performance venue – Colston Hall in Bristol.

Local young musicians from the city’s innovative REMIX youth music project and the city’s Wellbeing Choir help launch the work with performances amongst the rubble of the development site next to the historic hall in the heart of Bristol’s city centre.

The new foyer will be completed early in 2009, opening in late spring of that year. The foyer development is fully funded, including £13m allocated from Bristol City Council’s capital resources and a £7m grant from Arts Council England.

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The new foyer will provide modern box office facilities; new performance and exhibition spaces; meeting rooms; rehearsal and recording studios; education and workshop areas; two café bars; improved disabled access and conference facilities.

The stylish glass-fronted foyer building, finished with a striking recycled copper cladding, will provide a new architectural landmark for the city facing onto The Centre.

Designed by architects Levitt Bernstein Associated, it will feature a spacious atrium crossed at upper floor levels by a series of bridges. These will connect the new foyer and its public spaces with the rear of the existing main auditorium and other parts of the historic hall building.

At ground floor level, the building will be designed to provide a new covered route for pedestrians moving between The Centre and Trenchard Street multi storey car park, encouraging residents and visitors to visit the foyer to take a closer look at the hall and its programme.

Throughout the building process, Colston Hall will be open for business as usual – offering an electric programme of events including international artists from the pop and rock, classical, leftfield and contemporary music fields, as well as top class comedy.

(JM/SP)