Ostensibly in the style of a Robert Adam orangery and based on the Little Theatre at Versailles; the whole was aimed as an exercise in the Adam style. Designed in 1 week, to be built in 6 weeks in time for the 1903 season.
Sounds fantastic doesn’t it and the council have issued a press release saying:“Repair work has been completed on one of Ramsgate’s most familiar seafront buildings.
Work has been carried out over the last four months to the Royal Victoria Pavilion on Harbour Parade by the Rank Organisation. It follows lengthy discussions with the council, which owns the building. It is Rank’s responsibility, as the tenants, to ensure that the building is kept in good repair.
Since work started in the summer, the roof of the pavilion has been repaired, partly recovered and redecorated. The external rendering was fractured and in poor condition in a large number of places, which was allowing weather penetration to occur in some of these areas. To avoid deterioration of the structure, these areas have been repaired, re-rendered and redecorated.
Cllr. Roger Latchford, Cabinet Member for Regeneration, said: “Most people in Ramsgate know the pavilion building and have wanted to see something happening with it, as has the council. We’re delighted that finally work has been completed on the exterior of the building to bring it back into good repair. Hopefully, now that this work has been undertaken, we can look forward to it being re-occupied.””
Anyway I thought I had better go and take a look, sorry the pictures didn’t come out as well as I had hoped, it was darker than I expected inside.
Here are the links to the rest of the pictureshttp://www.michaelsbookshop.com/pav2010/index.htm
http://www.michaelsbookshop.com/pav2010/id3.htm
http://www.michaelsbookshop.com/pav2010/id4.htm
I am a bit lost for words at the moment, but I will add to this post later on today.
When I asked if there was any recent photos from inside earlier this year I never expected to see a exploration, good work.
ReplyDeleteSo there's a lot of crap to clear out then and there was no mercy for the original décor, hacked and ripped off the beams?
Quite often a lot of the ripping out of these old places took place just post WW2 and left an empty shell....
ReplyDeleteI dont know what the condition was befor Rank took it on but if they are responsible to restore it what I see in the pictures looks as if they have a lot more to do.
ReplyDeleteStrewth! If that's the venue for the bloggers Christmas piss-up.......
ReplyDeleteThe point is that when Rank leased the building in 1969, according to their lease, they covenanted "To repair and keep the exterior and interior in good and substantial repair and condition". "To preserve the fixtues and fittings in their present condition". They never did this and despite the building being listed Thanet District Council never enforced it. If Rank defaulted on any of the covenants, TDC had the right to enter the premises and repair and make good the same at the expense of the Lessee (Rank). Why did they not do it, could it be something to do with TDC wanting them to go to Westwood Cross ?? I think the blogger who made the comment about ripping out the building after WW2 must be thinking of another building, this building was in use until 2007.
ReplyDelete