Alexandra Palace's east wing to be restored next year in £27 million overhaul

Alexandra Palace’s derelict east wing — housing the world’s first television studio — will be restored next year in a £27 million overhaul by privately owned construction firm Willmott Dixon.

The historic north London venue already hosts stars including Florence and the Machine and major sporting events such as the World Darts Championships every year — attracting three million visitors — but nearly half the palace remains closed to the public.

The charitable trust which owns the palace on behalf of the public has chosen the builder to restore the east wing, which was built 1875 and was the site of the BBC’s first public television broadcast in 1936.

It remained the corporation’s main transmitting centre until 1956.

The studios will be transformed into an interactive BBC experience and the wing’s Victorian theatre — largely intact — will be restored, creating a new 1300-capacity performance space.

Funding is from the Heritage Lottery Fund (£19 million) and the London Borough of Haringey (£7 million), and the project will be completed in 2017.

The park, ice rink and music venue will remain open while the works are carried out.

Alexandra Palace chief executive Louise Stewart said: “When we’re finished, Alexandra Palace’s eclectic history will finally come alive.”