Project summary

The Grade I-listed St George’s Chapel in Great Yarmouth was built in 1715, and modelled on the church of St Clement Danes in London, which was designed by Sir Christopher Wren. After the church was declared redundant in 1971, the building became an arts centre before falling into disrepair and being declared unsafe.

The restoration of the chapel and its conversion into a fully-featured performance space forms the heart of a regeneration scheme which includes the creation of a new pavilion and an outdoor performance area in the park alongside the chapel, as well traffic-calming measures and improved links between the north and south ends of the town’s two main streets. The project will transform this important building and the urban realm around it and bring new life to the centre of the town.

Charcoalblue is working closely with Hopkins Architects on the conversion of the chapel, advising on the design of the seating and staging systems, sightlines, lighting and sound systems for performance use, technical access and general theatre planning issues.

The initial phase of the £8.5m scheme to transform the area into a vibrant cultural quarter with a public square, art galleries, street cafes and specialist shops commenced in October 2009 with the changes to the area's roadways and pavements and the installation of cycle links and better street lighting. It is anticipated that the entire scheme will be completed by 2011.