VISITORS to the new Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts should see and hear a big difference when the venue opens next spring.

Architect Dave Sweeney of Brighton-based RH Partnership said visitors may not immediately notice the impact of the £7.2 million makeover of the former Gardner Arts Centre with Sir Basil Spence’s foyer returned to its original glory.

But they should reap the benefits as soon as they enter the new auditorium at the University of Sussex site which has had a complete overhaul to remedy the “terrible” acoustics and sight lines.

Mr Sweeney believes the old venue's failings may have been due to the tempestuous relationship between Sir Basil and theatre consultant Sean Kenny.

He said: “The auditorium was in a circle which is just terrible for sound, everything gets reflected back to the middle.

“There must have been one seat where all the sound was directed to.

“People now come into the foyer and they go ‘what has changed’ and then they come into the auditorium and say ‘oh I see what’s changed’.”

The refurbishment has included a complete replacement of the floor and creation of a more flexible space than its previous rigid end stage structure.

Staff now have the option of switching from a 348 seater end stage theatre, to adding a thrust stage for fashion shows, or a theatre in the round, or to remove majority of seating for standing of up to 500 spectators.

He said the venue was left in need of a major overhaul because previous occupant Gardner Arts left the building “gutted” when their funding ran dry eight years ago.

The project team have also sought to overcome accessibility issues inherent in 1960s design by dropping in a lift which will take visitors to all three levels.

There is also a stage lift, a relief for musicians who used to have to lift their equipment up the front steps, and also to disabled performers who simply could not perform at the last venue.

Mr Sweeney praised Brighton and Hove City Council conservation officers and English Heritage staff for allowing the major overhaul of a grade II* theatre and said he hoped the work would actually help revert the venue to Mr Kenny’s original vision of supporting creative sound arts or performance arts.

The build-up to reopening will gather pace next month when new creative director Laura McDermott takes up the role.

The bar will be fitted out in the new year in a 60s style complete while stage lights, curtains and a audio visual system, with the potential for cinema screenings, will also be installed.

A specially commissioned portrait of Lord Richard Attenborough, created from the signatures of high-profile donors from Hollywood and British theatre, will be hung in the main foyer once a spot away from direct sunlight is chosen.

Centre manager Matt Knight said: “Michael [Lord Attenborough’s son] had a great input into the approach of the centre.

“We wanted three key qualities of Lord Attenborough to be reflected in it; education, high quality art and social justice and we will be looking to reflect all these in the spring.”