Tropicana appoints architects to refurbish venue

Government Levelling Up funding will be used to refurbish the Tropicana

Plans to revamp a landmark seaside venue have moved a step closer with the appointment of an architecture firm.

The Tropicana in Weston-super-Mare is set to undergo an £8.7m refurbishment in September 2024.

The move comes after North Somerset Council was awarded £20m from the government's Levelling Up Fund to revamp several projects in the town.

Architecture practice RCKa is now working on plans to improve and repair the existing structure.

Built in 1937, the former swimming pool on the beach is owned and run directly by North Somerset Council.

It is currently the venue for the country's largest outdoor ice rink, Icescape, which the council say is no longer commercially viable.

The venue has also hosted art installations such as Banksy's Dismaland in 2015 and the SEE Monster exhibition in 2023.

It is hoped the Tropicana's revamp will encourage more visitors to Weston-super-Mare

"The much-loved Tropicana is a key destination at the heart of the seafront in Weston-super-Mare," said Councillor Mike Solomon.

"However, the reality is that it doesn't currently cover its operational costs and it needs significant repair.

"The vision for the Tropicana is to become a commercially viable, year-round, high-quality, multi-entertainment venue, which operates at no cost to the council and helps to raise the profile of Weston-super-Mare as a fantastic place to live, work, visit and invest," he added.

'A successful future'

Dieter Kleiner, director at RCKa, said: "We've proposed a design and construction programme to improve the Tropicana's structure to make it resilient and fit for purpose.

"We'll then lead an ambitious public engagement programme, working with local artists and others to map a way forward to reviving the Tropicana as a commercially viable and highly flexible venue to accommodate a wider range of entertainment activities.

"Key to a successful future will be broadening focus beyond Weston's seasonal visitor economy to encompass 'everyday' activities to improve the daily lives of local people, while bringing additional social value to the town."

Work is currently scheduled to finish by August 2025, but the Tropicana will remain open in its current form until September 2024.

The council is looking for a commercial operator with "strong connections to the industry network" to run the entertainment venue on a 25-year lease.

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