Paisley Town Hall

The first pictures showing how Paisley’s A-listed town hall looks after a £22m transformation into one of the finest entertainment venues in the west of Scotland have now been revealed.

The building has been transformed as part of a wider investment by Renfrewshire Council in Paisley’s historic cultural venues, aimed at driving new life and footfall to the area.

Key features of the transformation include a complete redesign to put audience experience and accessibility at the heart of the building and the preservation and restoration of the unique and ornate Victorian architectural features throughout the town hall. State-of-the-art performance and back-of-house facilities such as new sound and lighting, retractable seating and lowered stage have also been added and the capacity in the main hall has been increased to more than 1,000.

New rooms added in previously-unused spaces, such as a new bar and terrace overlooking Paisley’s iconic Abbey, a dance studio, and a screening room – adding a greater range of uses than ever before A full replacement of decades-old mechanical and electrical equipment Paisley Town Hall was opened in 1882, and stands as a monument to the town’s rich history as a centre of global textile production, having been gifted to the town by George Aitken Clark of the thread-mill-owning Clark family.

The building has been closed since the end of 2018. Main contractors Morrison Construction have been on site since summer 2021 but have now completed their work and staff are currently fitting it out ahead of opening. The building remains closed to the public while that work is finished. Once reopen, the town hall will be operated by OneRen – the local charitable trust providing culture, leisure and sporting opportunities to help people enjoy active, healthy and fulfilled lives.

OneRen will soon be revealing a programme of town hall events to run throughout winter and beyond. As well as being a striking venue for concerts and performances, it will also be available for weddings, conferences and other events.