Central to the refurbished performance spaces lies the newly restored Lantern. This beautiful double height space acts as the connecting heart, linking the existing Bridge House to the main Beacon Hall and the Lantern Hall. Constructed in the Bristol Byzantine style in 1873 a Grand Staircase of two symmetrical aligned flights top lit by a timber lantern rooflight would lead patrons up the auditoriums. (fig. 1)

In the 1900 reconstruction following a fire at the adjacent Clarke’s warehouse, the staircase was replaced by two straight flights to lead directly from the entrance to the principal floor of the Main Hall disrupting the original design intention. semi-circular arches and acanthus columns match the style of the exterior ground floor loggia as do the maritime reliefs. (fig. 2, 3, 4)

The existing staircase and floors were removed, and a new mezzanine floor was introduced to create an accessible link to the Bridge House. The full restoration of the original three-sided ambulatory beneath the glazed lantern and insertion of a modern staircase as an homage to the original grand staircase, created some interesting structural challenges for the engineers and builders. (fig. 5, 6)

The lantern timber rooflight structure had suffered from years of water damage and extensive timber restoration and partial replacement was necessary, to restore it to its former glory. New replacement glazing with high solar energy transmittance protection was installed, to provide natural daylight to the space below, while minimizing overheating. (fig. 7, 8)

The existing bath stone ashlar wall cladding was paint stripped, cleaned, and carefully restored. A new St Bees string course was introduced to delineate the lantern gallery level from the base plinth and to denote the 1873 floor level. The existing stone balusters were reinstated along the atrium edge and a new feature steel staircase installed, connecting the Beacon and Lantern Hall with the new Simons’ Bar and the new Education Suit and Colonnade Restaurant on the ground floor re-instating the original volume the staircase once occupied.

Giles Round was commissioned by the Bristol Music Trust to compose a tiled mural from the architectural details found on the facade and in response to the architecture of Bristol Byzantine Architecture Style.

With a lot of combined effort, the Lantern now provides a beautiful link between the past and the future of this venue. (fig. 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)