Alexandra Palace awarded £18.8m of funding to restore historic spaces

The Victorian theatre and BBC Studios at Alexandra Palace are just two of the areas that will be brought back to life with the help of new funding.

Alexandra Palace, East Court seating

Alexandra Park and Palace Charitable Trust (APPCT) has been awarded £18.8million of funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) to help repair and restore the Palace’s grand historic spaces and secure the Palace’s future as one of London’s leading heritage attractions.

The redevelopment will focus on the eastern end of the Palace, which has been derelict for over 30 years and comprises the BBC Studios and the Victorian Theatre. A new public entrance hall will also be created with the plans set to be completed by 2018.

The BBC studios were the birthplace of high-definition television broadcasts in 1936 and will now be turned into an interactive visitor attraction where it will be possible to learn more about the art of making television programmes, discover material from the BBC’s archives and view displays of historic equipment.

The Palace’s Victorian hidden theatre dates back to 1875 and will now play host to theatrical performances, cinema screenings, live comedy, acoustic music and corporate entertainment with the help of this latest funding.

Duncan Wilson OBE, Chief Executive of APPCT commented: “We are thrilled with the HLF announcement. Today marks a hugely positive and significant step in realising our aspirations to bring the Victorian Theatre and BBC Studios back to life and fulfil the potential of the Palace and its remarkable history for the local community, visitors from all over the UK, and overseas.”