WORK is starting on a multi-million pound project to transform Warrington’s Pyramid Arts Centre into a vibrant cultural hub.
Contractors are on site at the Palmyra Square building and the anticipated completion of the £4.9m project is late 2025.
Pyramid is run by the arts charity Culture Warrington and owned by Warrington Borough Council and the shared vision is to create a modern, accessible and flexible arts and culture hub with greater capacity, which will serve Warrington’s diverse communities for generations to come.
While the Palmyra Square building is now closed to the public until the completion of works, Culture Warrington is working hard on plans to deliver an exciting interim events programme.
A temporary “pop-up” venue in the town centre will be set up in the near future, delivering Pyramid’s box office, performances and other services. Further details will be provided on this very soon.
Cllr Tony Higgins, the borough council’s cabinet member for communities, culture and leisure, said: “Pyramid Arts Centre has played a crucial in Warrington’s cultural scene for many years, so it’s really exciting that it’s about to begin a brand new era, thanks to this fantastic project.
“The revamped Pyramid will be a huge asset for Warrington, in the heart of our cultural quarter. It will provide a flexible, accessible, and fit-for-the-future facility, which will cater to a diverse range of artists, performers and audiences and help drive cultural growth in our town for future generations.
“As the building undergoes its transformation, Culture Warrington will continue to deliver an exciting events programme. A new Pyramid pop-up venue in the town centre will ensure there continues to be plenty of arts and culture on offer for everyone while we wait for our new cultural hub to open in 2025.”
Funded through the government’s Town Fund deal, the revamped Pyramid will include:
• A new bar and refreshments area in main foyer, and a new layout to the Studio Theatre
• A higher-capacity Exhibition Hall – for up to 380 people – opening it up to different shows and making it more attractive to up-and-coming bands and performers
• A new box office, and improved dedicated gallery space for exhibitions
• Upgraded toilet and changing facilities, accessibility enhancements and improved internal and external signage.
At the same time, the historic features of the Grade II listed building – formerly a magistrates’ court and sports hall – will be protected and retained.
Chris Persoglio, executive director at Culture Warrington, said: “After months of planning and preparation, we’re so excited to finally see construction work start on the Pyramid redevelopment project.
“These improvements will open up our well-loved venue to even more people and transform it into a more modern and flexible hub for all sections of the community.
“The contractors will mainly be concentrating on two areas – Studio Theatre and Exhibition Hall – to create a new reception and bar area, increase our capacity for bigger shows and allow us to run multiple performances simultaneously.
“We can’t wait to reopen our doors and invite everyone back, and we’d also like to thank our audiences, supporters and service users for their patience during this period of change.”
For further details and updates on the project, visit warrington.gov.uk/remastered-cultural-hub
