Giant Leeds Town Hall organ fully dismantled for revamp

The organ is believed to be one of the biggest in Europe

Months of specialist work to dismantle one of the largest pipe organs in Europe has been completed as part of a £1.8m restoration project.

Engineers began the painstaking task of taking down the 50ft-high (15m) organ at Leeds Town Hall in November.

Some 6,000 pipes have been individually removed from the 70-tonne instrument leaving behind a completely empty organ chamber.

Technicians will now set about replacing much of the ageing mechanism.

It has been completely removed to leave in its place an empty organ chamber

The latest step in the restoration project means that for the first time in its history, Victoria Hall - the town hall's main performing room - has been without an organ.

Originally built by Gray and Davison of London to designs by William Spark and Henry Smart in 1853, the decades had begun to take their toll on the organ, which was last serviced about 50 years ago.

The refurbishment project will see much of the instrument's ageing mechanism, including the soundboards, wind supply and console replaced, with the aim of giving it "a fuller and more integrated sound".

Engineers started taking apart the organ in November

The refurbishment of the Grade 1 listed organ, which was played at the town hall's opening in 1858, has been years in the planning with specialists spending several months working to understand the physical layout.

Specialists from pipe organ builder Nicholson & Co previously said it was the biggest project of its kind worked on in the country for a significant amount of time.

Leeds city organist Darius Battiwalla, who has played the instrument during countless concerts and recitals, said it was a "very strange feeling" to see Victoria Hall without the organ.

Engineers have individually removed thousands of the organ's pipes

He added: "However, knowing that this spectacular piece of the city's musical heritage will be returning better than ever is so exciting and inspiring for everyone involved in bringing together the vision for the town hall's future.

"Once completed, the organ will once again become cornerstone of what will be a world class music and performance venue that the city can be proud of for many years to come."