Alexandra Palace submitted a Round 1 application to the HLF on 30 November 2012 supporting the repair and refurbishment of the historic BBC Studios, East Court and the currently derelict Victorian Theatre.  

We are delighted to announce that we have been successful with our application and that £844,800 has been pledged by the HLF to support Development works over the coming 18 months or so. After this time a Round 2 HLF application will be submitted for the remaining grant which will be used to undertake the capital construction works.

The Round 1 Development funding will not involve any construction works but will focus on the development of the detailed design and business planning for the project. This stage is essential in order to assess the project’s on-going sustainability and as well as its assured community benefit.  The Development phase is expected to take 18 months.  We will shortly begin to procure the team of specialist consultants we will need to complete this Round 1 Development phase. At the end of the Round 1 Development phase we will submit a Round 2 application to the HLF for funding towards the costs of delivering the capital construction works.  As present it is estimated that the works will costs £23.9m.  The HLF will contribute £16.8m, with the balance of the required funds being raised from other sources. If we are successful with the Round 2 application Alexandra Palace will then be able to procure a specialist construction team to undertake the capital construction works. These works will include making the BBC Studios, Victorian Theatre and East Court accessible to the public featuring a range of displays and exhibitions showing the development of popular entertainment from Victorian times to the present day and provide a range of cultural and community activities and education programmes. Key aspects of the HLF proposal are as follows:

• The project will restore regular public access to the BBC Studios and Victorian Theatre and renovate the under-utilised East Court;
• The Theatre will be kept in an ‘as found’ state - retaining its special character and historical features -but will be restored to provide a safe and functional environment that      will allow us to host a wide range of community and commercial events.  A number of major cultural organisations have expressed an interest in putting on events in the Theatre which would continue to expand the size of the public ‘offer’ of Ally Pally;
• The BBC’s Studio A will be restored and will be converted to an innovative, interactive exhibition into the history of television (having been the location of the world’s first high definition television broadcast in 1936). The BBC Studio B will be converted into a multi-use space and will primarily host our learning activities;
• The external arches of the Eastern Colonnade will be unblocked and will restore the striking visual impact from along the South Terrace;We are currently planning to submit the Round 2  application in late 2014 and based on this timeline, the project is expected to be completed in 2017. Both dates will be reviewed and subject to change as the project  development phase progresses.

We are very excited to be moving into the next stage of our HLF application process, are grateful for the on-going support received from our broad group of stakeholders and the public.

Please note that any tender and employment opportunities will be advertised on our website; a separate page is being established and will be launched shortly.