Kvaerner Construction has been awarded a £17 million contract to refurbish Brighton’s major art venues: The Dome, Museum and Art Gallery.
The contract was awarded by Brighton & Hove Council and Brighton Festival following close consultation in which Kvaerner Construction submitted a cost-effective bid that also made great savings in construction time.
The Dome auditorium, Corn Exchange, Museum and Art Gallery were originally constructed for the Prince of Wales (later George IV) between 1803 and 1808 as a riding school and stables. These, as well as the adjoining Northgate House, are all Grade 1 and Grade 2* listed buildings.
The buildings have since been altered a number of times and have served as cavalry barracks, a military hospital, assembly rooms and housed the town’s library. The Dome even hosted the Eurovision Song Contest in 1974.
Kvaerner Construction will refurbish the Corn Exchange, Museum and Art Gallery and Northgate House, building a new link between the Museum and Northgate House. It will also carry out structural alterations to the Dome auditorium; uncovering the original dome to inspect for structural damage before recladding it in new lead.
Kvaerner Construction’s work on site has just started and is due to be completed in April 2001. Its sister company, piling and ground engineering specialist Kvaerner Cementation Foundations, is also working on the contract.
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