NEW PLANS FOR FAIRFIELD HALLS AND COLLEGE GREEN UNVEILED
New plans for the Fairfield Halls and College Green have been unveiled by Croydon council.
Croydon have submitted a detailed planning application for the £750m regeneration project, which they say will see a revitalised Fairfield Halls and a new purpose-built college at the heart of a vibrant arts and educational quarter.
“The proposals follow the announcement of a new deal between the council and Fairfield (Croydon) Ltd to work together on a programme that will see the venue close on 15 July” said a council spokesperson.
“The two-year closure will allow for the £30m transformation of the ageing Fairfield Halls into a spectacular arts and cultural centre, which will include refurbishment of the entire venue from public spaces, restaurants and bars through to heating and lighting and back stage areas that will mean hugely improved facilities for visiting acts.
“Technical improvements will open the way for more contemporary productions to be staged and fresh experiences for audiences.
“The venue will also gain new bar areas, a roof-top seating and dining space, and the outside of the building will be reconfigured with improved integration into the surrounding public areas, which will be landscaped, with spaces for public art, cafés and shops.
“Art-lovers will also find 2,000 sq. metres of gallery space in a brand new underground venue that will offer opportunities for large-scale contemporary exhibitions to be displayed.
“Croydon College will move to a brand new purpose-built educational complex ensuring that it can offer students the benefits of a state-of-the-art learning environment. “The college will continue to operate from its existing premises until construction is completed.
“The wider regeneration, which takes place over three phases, could see more than 2,000 new homes, with a significant number of those being affordable, and major improvements along George Street, with new offices and shops planned and proposals to make pedestrian-friendly, step-free through routes from East Croydon into town and across the borough.”
Croydon’s Fairfield Halls were built in 1962 to a similar design as the Royal Festival Hall and the council’s design team for the regenerated site includes Rick Mather Architects, a practice known for its work on the refurbishment of that iconic venue, along with the overhaul of the Lyric Theatre in Hammersmith. Local consultants Mott MacDonald and planning practitioners Turley are also adding their expertise to the project, which will be of national architectural significance.
The regeneration takes place in three phases:
Phase 1
Modernisation of Fairfield Halls
New college facility
New homes on council-owned land
New and enhanced public realm
Phase 2
New homes on former Croydon College site
Commercial development
Residential on George Street and College Road
Phase 3
Final residential stage (Source: Croydon council press release)