Visitors to get an insight into work to restore Torquay's iconic Pavillion
A new viewing gallery is to be built on the site of the old stage
Visitors to the historic Pavilion on Torquay harbourside will soon be able to tread the same boards as Laurence Olivier and George Formby as they check up on the progress of a multi-million-pound restoration.
A new viewing gallery is to be built on the site of the old stage inside Torquay’s historic Pavilion, giving visitors an insight into the restoration of one of the town’s most precious buildings.
The former theatre, which also saw service as a shopping centre and an ice rink before falling into disrepair, is being renovated in a project led by Torbay Council, which is currently concentrating on making the structure safe after years of water damage.
Now the council is installing a gallery so people can see how the project is going.
Permission has been granted for the temporary gallery and visiting area, along with three temporary buildings outside the Pavilion for offices and toilets.
The gallery will also provide a space to exhibit some of the historic artefacts which trace the illustrious history of the building.
Opening in 1912, the Pavilion was the first municipal concert venue in Torquay. It functioned as a theatre until 1976, then became home to a popular artificial ice rink.
During its heyday as a theatre it hosted shows and concerts featuring the likes of Paul Robeson, Sid James, Arthur Askey and Tessie O’Shea.
It survived the threat of demolition during the work to redevelop Fleet Street, and was saved after the intervention of the Friends of the Pavilion group. Later there were plans to incorporate the Pavilion as part of a high-ride harbour hotel, but it became derelict after the council awarded a long-term lease on the building to Marina Developments Ltd.
The council took it back under its control late in 2024.
In May 2025 the Victorian Society included the building in its list of the 10 most endangered in the country, and one expert wrote: “The Pavilion is recognised as one of the most architecturally outstanding buildings of the English Seaside.”
In their report architects Poynton Bradbury say: “The proposed works aim to facilitate an opportunity for the building to be experienced by the public following a long period of closure and ahead of the restoration programme.
“The works will not adversely affect the historic fabric of the building, being fully reversible, and will only be in place for a limited time period.”
The Torquay Neighbourhood Forum says it is ‘fully supportive of the installation of a viewing gallery as this will promote the cause for the restoration of this important heritage asset”.
The Theatres Trust says it welcomes the Pavilion project as a whole, and says the new gallery will allow people to appreciate and understand it.