SCAFFOLDING has been removed from one of the city's most historic buildings, revealing major restoration work.
Throughout lockdown, refurbishment has continued on Brighton Dome’s Corn Exchange and Studio Theatre.
Scaffolding has been removed from the Corn Exchange facade in Church Street and along the front of the Studio Theatre in New Road.
The exterior renovation work is now visible for the first time.
Works included restoring the stonework and replacing the roof with 16,000 Welsh slate tiles.
The large crane, which has dominated the estate skyline, will leave the site today.
Work continues inside the building to restore original heritage features, with 6,500 linear metres of oak cladding installed along the length of the walls and roof arches.
There are also 34 oak pilaster columns recreated from archive drawings to match how the building would have looked more than 200 years ago.
Built in the early 1800s, the Corn Exchange was originally used as Prince Regent's riding house.
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Towards the end of the 19th century it was used as an archaeological and geological museum.
The restoration work marks the first phase in the Royal Pavilion Estate project, which aims to reaffirm the estate as a key cultural destination by "equipping it for a sustainable future and creating a centre for heritage, culture and the performing arts which reflects the unique spirit of Brighton".
A partnership between the city council, Brighton Dome and Brighton Festival and the Royal Pavilion and Museums Trust, the project was awarded a £4,823 million grant from the National Lottery heritage fund in 2016.
Earlier this year the NLHF allocated the project a further £1 million from its heritage capital kickstart fund, as part of the government's culture recovery fund package.
Next door, the Brighton Dome Concert Hall will welcome audiences back later this month for indoor performances as part of Brighton Festival, from May 17.
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