Nottingham Royal Concert Hall, Nottingham

The Royal Concert Hall is part of the city's Royal Centre, which also incorporates the Victorian Theatre Royal. The site of the Royal Concert Hall was previously the old 'Empire Palace of Varieties' designed and built in 1898 by Frank Matcham. The Empire closed for the last time in 1958 and was demolished for road-widening in 1969. Designed by the Renton Howard Wood Levin Partnership (architects of the Sheffield Crucible Theatre), the hall cost £12 million to complete. Work on the Royal Concert Hall began in 1980 and was completed in 1982, providing Nottingham with a contemporary 2,499-seater, state-of-the-art, air-conditioned auditorium complete with a highly versatile sound and lighting system.

The first artist to perform there was Elton John in November 1982. The acoustical design of the auditorium was created by reference to the standards of world-famous concert halls. An acoustical canopy (weighing 38 tonnes) can be raised and lowered and tilted backwards to suit the changing musical needs of each performance. At its lowest settings, the canopy suits intimate chamber music; higher settings suit louder performers. The shimmering glass walls of the facade by day mirror the varied architecture nearby, acting as architectural 'sunglasses'. Whereas by night the effect of a display-case is created, those outside can see the audience inside dressed and assembling for their entertainment.