Dawnvale Group will play a major role in The Beacon, a multi-million pound transformation of an historic town hall in Hoylake into a cinema, hospitality and arts venue. Jonathan Caswell reports

One of the UK’s leading restaurant design and fit out companies has been chosen to project manage and deliver interior and kitchen designs for the multi-million pound revival of a historic Wirral town hall. 

Dawnvale Group is renowned for creating award-winning restaurants and bars for the hotel and leisure industry and has been appointed to design and fit out the restaurant, bar and atrium cafe planned as part of The Beacon Arts Village in Hoylake, Wirral. 

The company, which was established in 1994, also has a burgeoning reputation as a trusted advisor to local councils as well as cultural and destination management partners and is a passionate champion for the regeneration of Northern towns. 

Dawnvale will work closely with The Beacon’s integrated project delivery team to deliver the vision for the project led by building owners Hylgar Properties to ensure that the venue will have a first class operation as well as having splendid interior design.  

The project to convert the seaside town’s 122-year-old civic building into a two-screen cinema and 18 creative studio and retail spaces for artists and makers started at the end of 2019. It follows the successful application for £3.64m grant funding from the government’s Coastal Community Fund.

Dawnvale’s task is to make the new destination operate at optimum efficiency, supplying the right equipment, the perfect operational layout for each of the outlets and everything staff will need to provide a first class customer experience. 

In addition to the kitchen and bar designs, Dawnvale will manufacture and install equipment, provide interior design technical support and coordination, and supplier, subcontractor and product sourcing. 

Nationally Dawnvale Group has worked with The Alchemist, TGI Fridays, Red’s True BBQ and The Botanist as well as delivering Choababy in Sheffield, Birmingham and Manchester; Sky Garden in London; the Pilots Bar & Kitchen at Heathrow Airport; and Levi Roots Caribbean Smokehouse at Westfield.

Managing director Neil Guest said: “We have fit out and designed interiors for everything from chain restaurants to independent hotels and this historic building is a very exciting project for us. In each project we immerse ourselves in the vision so our design works for the client and the customer and looks beautiful and is comfortable.  

“The Beacon is a sensitive restoration project that will bring something truly magical to Hoylake and Wirral and we are delighted to have been asked to join the team.  It’s extremely important to this community and is in a much-loved building and so we want to help create a special place that will be enjoyed for generations to come.”

The first phase of works on the 1898 building includes internal and external demolitions and construction, including new roofing. The restaurant, with a newly built commercial kitchen, the bar/pub, and a newly-formed covered courtyard with new commercial kitchen space will be on the ground floor.

The first floor will consist of a two-screen cinema and refurbished creative industry office/studio spaces.

Phase two of the project is planned by spring 2020 when the building will be fitted out. In subsequent phases in addition to the 18 retail units, upper floors of the development will provide 40 apartments, using private funding. Dawnvale will also support the on-going maintenance of The Beacon’s kitchen equipment and fittings. David Burke of Hylgar Properties added: “It is incumbent on us to deliver value for money on this project and in every conceivable measure we are doing that.

“The key to this is the way we have been building an integrated team from the start because this approach has repeatedly demonstrated that a culture of collaboration is more effective at producing effective results and providing best value over the whole life of the project.”

The project will create more than 140 jobs during design, construction and operation, and is set to open to the public by the end of 2020. Last month leading Liverpool-based hospitality consultancy, Lucky Penny was appointed to deliver and partner operate the three food and beverage outlets.