New roof planned for Pavilion Theatre in Brighton

A planning application said: “The natural bright copper is expected to dull down to a softer brown colour within 12 months. This may happen more quickly given the coastal environment.”

Over time, the colour is expected to “patinate” naturally to the typical “verdigris” – or grey-green or bluish-green – that has long been familiar on the copper-topped domes in the area.

Brighton and Hove City Council submitted the planning application last month and – as the council is the planning authority – has responsibility for deciding whether it can replace the roof covering and sub-lining.

Proposals affecting council-owned land or buildings are usually decided by the planning committee.

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The plans were submitted after the old roof, which is almost 90 years old, became too fragile to work with during the restoration project that is currently under way.

In the past 18 months, contractors have also repaired the Corn Exchange roof, replacing more than 16,000 slate tiles, weighing 55 tonnes, to protect the building from weather damage.

The new copper covering for the grade II* listed Pavilion Theatre – also known as the Studio Theatre – is intended to prevent water from leaking through the roof.

The theatre is part of the Royal Pavilion Estate

The council’s planning team leader for heritage and projects, Tim Jefferies, said that the theatre was built with a stylised form of Islamic architecture to reflect the “Moorish” influence of the Pavilion Estate.

He said that the proposed work was a like-for-like replacement, with the new copper expected to have “quite a dramatic visual impact”.

Mr Jefferies said: “This work will replicate the appearance of the roof when originally built and the new natural copper will patinate over time.

“The works would also have the benefit of securing the fabric of the building from water ingress in the long term.”

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He said that the work would also “preserve the setting” of the Corn Exchange and Pavilion Gardens without harming the appearance of the conservation area.

The neighbouring grade I listed Dome and Corn Exchange were originally built as a riding school and stables by William Porden from 1803 to 1808.

Philip Lockwood turned the Dome into a theatre in the 1860s and the Corn Exchange was turned into a concert and exhibition hall later in the same decade.

The Pavilion Theatre was built in 1935, originally as a supper room for the Corn Exchange, before becoming a venue in its own right.

The planning application for the latest stage of the restoration work can be found by searching for BH2021/02477 on the council website.