St Ives Guildhall

A much-loved building in St Ives, the Guildhall is in need of extensive restoration and improvement.

The aim of this project is to develop the building into a thriving cultural venue together with a café and bar space.

As well as safeguarding the future of an important heritage building, the project will provide a high-quality year-round programme for all potential audiences in St Ives and West Cornwall, develop the town’s role as a national centre of heritage, arts and culture and provide opportunities for careers in creative arts.

LATEST PROJECT NEWS 

The £3.1 million project to restore and improve the historic Guildhall building has taken a major step forward with the exciting news that building firm, Classics Builders, are now onsite.

The Guildhall Renewal project celebrates the historic building’s rich past, confirming its role as the civic and cultural heart of the town and re-imagined for future generations.

Since closing its doors in 2023, there has been plenty going on behind the scenes, including extensive opening up works which informed the final design and budget.

Councillor Kirsty Arthur Chair of the Facilities Committee said: “It’s really great to see the building works begin on site. After years of planning, this is the moment that signifies that things are really happening. I can’t wait to see how it progresses, and I know that it will be a great success story for the community when it is finished.”

An important element of this first phase is the temporary relocation of the Barbara Hepworth sculpture, ‘Dual Form’ to Kresen Kernow in Redruth. Barbara Hepworth originally gifted the sculpture to St Ives after being granted the Freedom of the Town in 1968.

To minimise the risk of damage to the sculpture it was decided to temporarily move it while the works are taking place.

The Town Council wanted to ensure the sculpture would continue to be on public display during its relocation and not put into storage. This has been achieved by the move to Kresen Kernow.  

Members of Barbara Hepworth’s family and Trustees were consulted on the plans for the external landscaping redesign and support the temporary relocation of the sculpture to facilitate the works.

The Town Council enlisted a specialist sculpture-moving team, Sculpture Transport UK, with extensive experience in handling significant artworks to safely transport Dual Form. This complex process included templating the sculpture’s base to ensure its future plinth matches precisely.

Dual Form will return to its position outside St Ives Guildhall once the forecourt works are complete.

This initial phase will also include removal of the entrance canopy and installation of site boundaries. As with all large-scale capital works projects, there will be increased traffic on Street an Pol as the contractors move onsite. The Town Council will be working closely with Classic Builders and their site team to keep disruption to a minimum.

We thank everyone in advance for their patience and support. We all miss the buzz of activity in the hall, with Classic now moving onsite the anticipated reopening is early 2026.

If you’d like to be kept up to date with the project please visit our website: stivesguildhall.co.uk to sign up to the e-newsletter. You can also follow the project on social media @stivesguildhall or pop into the Town Council Guildhall reception for the latest information.

The Town Council continues to roll out its engagement programme with local schools . 

More detail on the Guildhall project is available on the council’s website