Urgent repairs are about to begin to save a dome at risk of collapse on one of the city's major landmarks. A dome on the Royal Pavilion in Brighton , which suffered water damage and has rot inside , was identified as needing urgent repairs by contractors earlier this month. An urgent appeal for donations was launched to fund this work and over £27,500 was raised in just three days.
READ MORE: U niversity building to reopen after problem concrete was found This was over double the amount needed to restore the dome. Brighton and Hove Museums, a charity responsible for maintaining the historic landmark, has now increased the fundraising target so the charity can fund another critical piece of restoration work that is needed on the ceiling of the historic Banqueting Room at the Royal Pavilion. The charity said specialist repairs are needed to restore the copper Banqueting Room canopy and its windows which are failing, causing water damage to the ceiling beneath and putting the three-tonne dragon chandelier at risk.
Records dating back to the early 18th century show that even at the time it was built, the complex roof design was problematic to maintain. Once the external repairs have been undertaken, the Banqueting Room will need to be scaffolded so the water damage surrounding the dragon chandelier can be repaired. The total costs of works are expected to be around £28,000, which alongside the dome repairs takes the overall total to £38,000.
Hedley Swain, CEO of Brighton and Hove Museums, said: “We are overwhelmed by the amazing response following our initial dome repair appeal. "We’ve smashed our target of £10k with the total reaching £27.5k.
We can’t thank our supporters enough for their generosity. It shows how much people love and care for the Royal Pavilion. “The extra money raised will go towards specialist repairs needed for the copper Banqueting Room canopy.
Water damage to the spectacular ceiling beneath is putting the breathtaking dragon chandelier at risk.” The work will start this week to stop the structure from collapsing. The dome, which is part of the 19th-century seaside ‘pleasure palace’ of George IV, was designed by British architect John Nash and completed in 1823.
Hedley said: “The domes and canopies of the Royal Pavilion remain a striking and iconic example of early 19th-century British architecture. "Our conservation team work tirelessly to keep on top of the huge amount of maintenance this 200-year-old building requires. “As a charity, our reserves are limited, especially as we have spent the last few years in recovery following the pandemic.
"Ongoing financial support, no matter how small, allows us to not only preserve our magnificent venues, but fund the many education , community and cultural outreach programmes we deliver every year. “The additional funding will allow us to fix another major problem in the building which has been causing us great concern.” According to the charity, it costs around £900,000 a year to look after the 200-year-old Royal Pavilion, without the addition of repairs, renovations and upgrading.
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