Brighton Museum and Art Gallery, Brighton

After the Royal Pavilion was sold to the town of Brighton in 1850, it wasn't long before the Pavilion and Dome complex began hosting museum and art shows in the Great Kitchen. The kitchen and floor spaces soon proved inadequate for large exhibits. It was decided to stop improvising and build a dedicated museum space.

An extension was added to the Stables part of the complex. If the Stables once held up to 40 horses for George IV, they would certainly be roomy enough for paintings and exhibits. The space was walled off from Church Street and had previously been used for exercising horses. Not all the horses at once of course, but it was roomy.

The museum site was designed by Borough Surveyor Philip Lockwood. Lockwood used the dome and servants quarters to develop the museum and art gallery. The gallery opened in 1873. Its roof design was changed to the form of a shallow barrel vault. At first it housed a permanent collection. Today it displays Art Deco and Art Nouveau pieces.

The Art Gallery, library and museum are accessed from Church Street and then connect to the concert hall under the Dome. The Museum and Art Gallery is built into an extension of the Dome/Corn exchange buildings and is part of the Brighton Pavilion complex.

In 2005 the Jubilee Library opened, replacing the original library, which was moved above the museum. The former library was then converted to the Museum Lab.