Stephenson Memorial - August 2024 Update

Work to refurbish Stephenson Memorial Hall, home to the Pomegranate Theatre and Chesterfield Museum, has been ongoing for more than six months and there have been some major changes to the building.

In the auditorium the changes are significant, the circle has been stripped back, with the decorative panelling being safely stored ready to be reinstalled once the project is complete and new steelwork brought into the building ready to build an enlarged seating area. Cut outs have also been made in the walls to create a new access point and a new control room where the lights, audio and cinema equipment can be operated from.

A new concrete slab has been laid on the auditorium floor and the grid above the stage has been removed ready for a new steel structure to be installed.

On the Corporation Street side, part of the roof has been removed ready for a new Link Gallery to be installed, this will house rooms that can be used for events, school trips, community activities and as extra space during performance intervals.

A lift shaft has also been built up into this area, this will allow all visitors to access the new Museum spaces on the top floor, the upper level of the new café bar and the circle which will include new accessible seating.

In the Museum, work is underway to create a new café bar space and a new welcome area for the building where the historic builder’s wheel will be displayed. There are also new cutouts and internal windows to make the building feel more open.

As well as upgrading the building a lot of the work is also about improving the fabric of the building to ensure that it is more energy efficient and will stand the test of time. This has included improvements to the roof, where the existing roof tiles have been lifted, new membranes installed and then many of the tiles will be re-laid along with some matching new ones to ensure it is watertight.

Works have also included the cleaning of external brickwork and some re-pointing to ensure the building looks brilliant when it reopens.

On Station Back Lane a new extension is being built which will house dressing rooms and a new back of house area to provide performers with modern facilities. A new foundation has been laid and the blockwork in this area is progressing well.