Ta da! Introducing the interiors.
The history of the Guildhall has played a lead role throughout the interior design process to strike a careful balance between celebrating heritage whilst modernising it fit for the future. From the pavement to the stage Barbara Hepworth’s ‘Dual Form’ and the 1930’s Canadian maple wood dance floor have been an inspiration.
The metallic finish on ‘Dual Form’, Barbara Hepworth sculpture has inspired the finishings for the portico foyer roof and throughout the building. We really can’t wait to see the new front of house café bar entrance area buzzing full of people! It will be a flexible self-contained space and on beautiful sunny days we will open the new bifold doors to spill out onto the new level access forecourt opening it up even further. We are particularly pleased that the original Canadian maple wood dance floor has been incorporated into the front of the bar design.
As your journey continues into the hall, you will enter via an ‘acoustic lobby’ to isolate the sounds of the front of house café bar, in fact, there will be several sound proofing fittings to the hall to reduce sound escaping (we don’t want to scare the seagulls….) The hall space will have a new feel, keeping much of the original features such as the panelling and radiators, but we have added a PA system and state of the art lighting, so we can handle any type of event with our in-house production. The hall will continue to be a flexible space able to transform from an open dance floor, cabaret style, or comfy raked seating, so you can expect a variety of different layouts.
Whether you are doing a heel-turn, moshing or stomping along to country music, the new wooden floor will be able to take it!
The story of the dance floor….
Imported via ship from Canada in the 1930’s, the seemingly “sprung” floor has hosted many memorable events, dances, civic events and even wrestling! Sadly, the floor had to be removed due to the discovery of high-risk asbestos pipe lagging beneath the dance floor. The iconic maple wood dance floor will have a new life as the salvaged planks are being used in other areas of the hall including on the new bar, meaning thankfully it will remain part of the building’s future.
When the flooring was lifted it was discovered that the hard wood boards were stamped with the name of the Canadian lumber companies responsible for the wood’s felling and board’s manufacture. The majority of the wood was from the Muskoka Wood Manufacturing Company, Huntsville, Ontario. The company’s iconic stickers ‘Red Deer Brand’ has also survived the journey from Canada, London to Cornwall and supporting 80 years of Cornish community events will be preserved as a part of the story of the Guildhall.
