About Us

‘Doors Open’ Project

'Doors Open: Transforming lives through music at Smith Square Hall'

With a 300-year legacy, Smith Square Hall stands as a beacon of history and culture. Following a development phase grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, we’re renovating our landmark home, ensuring its doors can stay open for future generations to write the next chapters of its remarkable story.

We have been welcoming musicians and music lovers to Smith Square Hall since 1969 and are dedicated to enriching lives through the power of music. Made possible by National Lottery players, our ‘Doors Open’ project will transform the venue into a dynamic centre for culture and classical music.

Key enhancements include:

Improved audience experience through new seating with better sightlines, upgraded lighting, sound, heating, and ventilation systems.
Improved accessibility for all, ensuring there are no physical barriers to entry
Repairs to the historic fabric of the building
Improved facilities for musicians and guest artists
Renewable energy technologies installed throughout the building to help achieve our goal of becoming carbon neutral

We are delighted to give our initial support to transform Sinfonia Smith Square Hall into a dynamic cultural hub for the community. This Grade I listed building has seen many uses over its long history, most recently as a concert hall and new home of Southbank Sinfonia. As the UK’s largest funder of heritage, we need to support these historic buildings in adapting and regenerating and this project is a great example of this. We look forward to working with the team to progress their plans to apply for a full grant at a later date.

Stuart McLeod Director of England, London & South

We create and embrace opportunities to embed our building within the local community, and our doors are open for all to get involved with this project. From capturing stories of people who have performed in the Hall, to those connected with the local area, we’ll provide engagement opportunities through training and volunteering placements.

To get in touch about volunteering and other opportunities, please email engagement@sinfoniasmithsquare.org.uk.

Rosie Fraser Chief Executive, Sinfonia Smith Square

With our newly refurbished venue, we will build on the artistic legacy of our magnificent home. A baroque masterpiece built in the 18th century, this project will see us reinvent it as an acoustic marvel for the 21st.

Project team:

Burrell Foley Fischer – Architects
Burke Hunter Adams – Quantity Surveyors
ORM Developments – Project Manager
Susan Skedd – Storyteller
Rhian Tritton – Activity Planner
Design Map – Interpretation Consultants
Callum Given – Music Consultant
Audience Agency – Evaluation Consultant
CounterCulture – Business Plan Consultant
Kate Inskip – Fundraising Consultant

About The National Lottery Heritage Fund

The National Lottery Heritage Fund is the largest funder for the UK’s heritage. Using money raised by National Lottery players we support projects that connect people and communities to heritage. Our vision is for heritage to be valued, cared for and sustained for everyone, now and in the future. From historic buildings, our industrial legacy and the natural environment, to collections, traditions, stories and more. Heritage can be anything from the past that people value and want to pass on to future generations. We believe in the power of heritage to ignite the imagination, offer joy and inspiration, and to build pride in place and connection to the past.

View our press release here

(PDF 545.5kb)

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