A £20 million Lottery award towards the restoration, refurbishment and modernisation of the Royal Festival Hall (RFH) has been confirmed by Arts Council England (ACE).
The ACE funding will be primarily directed towards the auditorium, where the natural acoustic will be enhanced to meet classical music requirements, whilst retaining beneficial characteristics for amplified sound. The organ, which will be 50 years old next year, will be removed for restoration and improvements will also be made to the platform and production areas. The layout of the seating will be reconfigured to provide increased legroom throughout the stalls and terrace areas, and audience comfort will also be addressed through the upgrading of heating and ventilation systems. The project is one of the largest to be undertaken since the allocation of Lottery cash for capital projects was rationalised. RFH has already received confirmation of a £15m award, with a further £4.16m under consideration from the Heritage Lottery Fund, specifically directed towards conservation, restoration and repair work to the fabric of the building. South Bank Centre?s own fundraising campaign is underway and has so far raised £4.5m. Work on the project is due to begin in summer 2005.