Fairfield Halls to get £18 milliom facelift after council makes investment
A MULTI-MILLION pound refurbishment of Croydon's premier entertainment complex is being planned.
The long-awaited proposals to breathe new life into Fairfield Halls – which celebrates its 50th birthday in 2012 – are being made possible by a cash injection from Croydon Council.
The three-year, £18 million programme will not start until 2013 but crucially, according to Fairfield chief executive Simon Thomsett, it will enable the major work to take place without the venue having to close completely.
Details of the schedule have yet to be worked out but the intention is to transfer most of the entertainment programme to the Ashcroft Theatre while refurbish-ment of the concert hall takes place.
This will be reversed when work begins on the Ashcroft.
The improvements are expected to include new seating in both the Ashcroft and concert hall, installing air conditioning in the concert hall, upgrading worn-out electrics and replacement of inadequate toilet facilities.
A new industrial-size goods lift is also planned at the back of the concert hall. It will be big enough to cope with a 40 tonne wagon of musical equipment used by many of the performing bands.
It will make transporting equipment to the second floor stage area much easier, hopefully making Fairfield more attractive to bigger name acts.
Mr Thomsett said: "I am delighted with the idea of a phased programme. It is a far better way of planning a complete refurbishment.
"If you close a building like Fairfield, your audience will go away."
He described the commitment of money to the refurbishment as "brilliant" and added: "I am absolutely encouraged by the council's attitude – it is a breath of fresh air."
The venue's renowned acoustics for classical music will not be affected.
A makeover is also planned for the Arnhem Gallery, which will become a venue for new music aimed at the younger audience in March next year, with a standing capacity of 350.
Cllr Dudley Mead, deputy leader of the council and also chairman of the Fairfield board, said the £18 millon pledged – a sum which is likely to increase in future years – was an indication of the council's commitment to Fairfield.
He said: "It will bring its status back to where it was in 1962, when everything was new."
What do you think of the plans for Fairfield? Email your views to newsdesk@croydonadvertiser. co.uk or join the debate at www.thisiscroydontoday.co.uk
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by Sue, Wandsworth (was Croydon)
Monday, December 06 2010, 8:32PM
“Culture of Croydon? Have you gone barking?! Croydon culture, is murderers, rapists, theives, gangs, benefit scroungers, illegal immigrants, single parents and ugly buildings.
I have written a letter to the council expressing my views that I believe the Halls should be demolished to provide council houses for the locals.”
by Rob, Croydon
Sunday, December 05 2010, 12:30PM
“I think the point about Art Deco is not that the Halls are art deco, but they could be appreciated in a similar way in the future. Therefore it would be silly to demolish now.
Fairfield Halls provides local entertainment and the arts for the people of Croydon that no other local venue can provide on the same scale. To lose Fairfield Halls would be to remove culture from Croydon, meaning people would have to travel into London, or squeeze into the tiny Clocktower or Warehouse.
Investment is what is needed, so this is indeed good news...”
by Sue, Wandsworth (was Croydon)
Wednesday, December 01 2010, 1:49PM
“Art Deco??! Do you know what Art Deco is? If you want art deco, look across the road opposite the Halls, the building next door to the now defunct Blue Orchid is art deco as well as Electricity House.
Fairfield Halls is a styless 60s building. It will NEVER be attractive.
Croydon will forever remain a "joke" town if this eye sore remains. I am writting a letter to council to ask them to destroy the Halls and build council houses in its place.”
by Chris D, Kennington
Tuesday, November 30 2010, 11:18PM
“The fairfield halls would look every bit as good as the royal festival hall if it was refurbished in a creative way externally and internally. I don't think the money's there for that yet, but introducing a new signage strategy to tidy up signs and posters, getting rid of the awful blue framed replacement doors at the entrance, tidying up the scruffy office which can be seen from public at the front, and losing the sweetshop where the glamorous entrance is supposed to be would go some way to making the place look like a serious venue.”
by J, Croydon
Tuesday, November 30 2010, 3:43PM
“Totally right Diana,
I think if we wanted to beautify the outside, all it does need is an actual lick of paint, and perhaps some cunning, cost-effective refurbishment.
In the future, this might well be seen as an architecturally fascinating building. Your avolustely right - we shouldnt jump to judege everything by the tastes of our time. That was the problem, with the unsymapthetic developments of the 60's.”