New entrances, an expanded bar area and two large extensions have been revealed in the first images of the refurbished Elgin Town Hall.
The biggest performance venue in Moray will close early next year in an advance of a major overhaul as part of the £31.6 million cultural quarter project, which also includes Grant Lodge.
It is hoped the expansion and upgrade will attract more and larger touring performances to the area.
Now images of what the rejuvenated 1960s council-built building could look like when completed have been revealed for the first time.
Extension to be new main entrance to refurbished Elgin Town Hall
New designs have revealed for the first time a large extension will run down the length of Elgin Town Hall next to the Lossiemouth road.
The addition, which will house the box office, reception and lobby, will become the main entrance to the B-listed building with separate doors from both the A96 and Lossie Green sides.
Meanwhile, the current entrance area will be transformed into a new bar with glass windows looking out over a refurbished courtyard.
Inside, the existing curtains that separate the main hall from the rest of the venue will be replaced by walls and doors to stop noise spilling into other rooms.
And a second extension will be built at the rear of the building, on the A96 side, which will house a second performance venue for rehearsals or smaller events.
In the main hall itself the seating upstairs will be configured to increase capacity and improve visibility.
Meanwhile, tiered seating will also be available downstairs for the first time. The supper room will also be retained for events.
Inside the new Elgin Town Hall
Why Elgin Town Hall needs massive refurbishment
The B-listed Elgin Town Hall was built in 1961 and has largely been in its current guise since an extension in 1975.
Today the building hosts a wide range of events including professional touring musicians, amateur theatrical groups, dance clubs and meetings.
Stuart MacKellar, a partner at Inverness-based LDN Architects which has been leading the redesign, explained the current layout had some strengths – but also key weaknesses.
He said: “The building was designed to hold a single big event at once. It’s like one big room. Everything links on to one another.
“Sound travels and it can be quite confusing to arrive into it at the moment. You can see and hear right through to the other side.
“The challenge for us was how to unlock the building so it still be used for that single big event, but also be closed down in places so multiple events can be held at the same time.
“It’s a really warm and characterful building on the inside. People really like the outside, although it’s quite austere and cold. We want to embrace the character of both.”
Timeline for construction project
- Planning application expected to be submitted shortly.
- Community groups to move to Elgin Community Centre from January 1.
- Performances in main hall to continue until March 31.
- Construction and refurbishments to begin thereafter.
- Elgin Town Hall expected to reopen in 2027 after refurbishment.
How performances will continue during closure
Elgin Town Hall remains owned by Moray Council but is now operated by charity Elgin Town Hall for the Community.
The group has welcomed the new vision for the much-loved building, hoping it will help them attract more sought-after acts to the venue.
However, they have stressed their intention is to ensure the hall remains available for locals to use for their own events, including groups, meetings, amateur dramatics and weddings.
Chairwoman Jackie Andrews told the Press and Journal the group intends to remain in operation during the refurbishment of Elgin Town Hall.
She said: “We’re just about to start making contact with other halls in the area and try and work with them to keep bringing events to the area.
“It’s important that we keep operating so that our name is still out there in people’s minds when we come back.
“So if we can bring events to other venues and we can bring our bar to them then it would work for both of us.”
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