Design and construction The Stables (now the Concert Hall) and the Riding School (now the Corn Exchange) were commissioned by the
Prince Regent to the designs of William Porden in the early 19th century. The central cupola, in diameter and in height, later gave the building its name The Dome. In the centre of the room was a large lotus-shaped fountain which was used to water the horses. The stables were occupied by 1806 and the exterior finished in 1808. A major refurbishment of the complex was undertaken between 1999 and 2002. The improvements, which cost £22 million, included a state-of-the-art acoustic system in the Concert Hall, new and improved seating, stage lifts and improved foyer facilities. The renovated building was re-opened by the
Princess Royal in 2002.
Corn Exchange The Corn Exchange was commissioned as the Prince Regent's riding school. The riding school measured long, wide, and high. On 1 October 1868 the riding school officially became the town's corn exchange.
The Studio Theatre The Studio Theatre stands on the site of stables which were built for
Maria Fitzherbert, a long-term companion of the Prince Regent, in 1808. The stables were later demolished and, Supper Rooms were built on the site to the designs of Robert Atkinson and completed in 1935. It was converted into a theatre shortly afterwards.
Later history During the First World War the Dome, as well as the Pavilion, was used to house injured Indian soldiers. It was thought that they would feel more at home in the Indian surroundings. Between 1 December 1914 and 15 February 1916 over 4,000 wounded Indian soldiers were nursed back to health at the makeshift hospitals set up inside the buildings of the Royal Pavilion estate. Three operating theatres were installed, one inside Brighton Dome itself. and, the suite that would become
The Dark Side of the Moon was premièred at the Dome by
Pink Floyd on 20 January 1972. Brighton Dome staged the
Eurovision Song Contest on 6 April 1974, when
ABBA won for
Sweden with the song "
Waterloo". The UK's national selection show
Eurovision: You Decide was held in the venue on 7 February 2018, hosted by
Mel Giedroyc and
Måns Zelmerlöw. ==The Dome Organ==