G-Live

We built the G-Live entertainment venue as a replacement for the previous civic hall which closed in 2004. Located near a local housing estate, major hotel development and a busy one-way road, it utilized all our skills for working on constrained sites close to other amenities .

Working in close proximity to so many things required excellent communication with local residents to ensure deliveries and major works were not delayed; something achieved by our award winning 'Community Action Plan'.

What we built

Our successful involvement created G-Live, a contemporary, state-of-the-art entertainment and concert hall for Guildford and the region. It provides inspirational architecture that is radical, yet fits well within its landscaped surroundings; it's now a standard for the finest live entertainment in Surrey!

G Live's features

We created:

• Flexible seating - 1031 seats and up to 1700 combined seating/standing using the unique retractable folding seats
• Seats provide unparalleled views and modern air conditioning
• Orchestra pit with hydraulic lifting platform that can form an extended stage
• Large triangular 3D acoustic deflection panels on either side of the hall
• A building that is fully accessible to all patrons, staff and visiting artists

Throughout the project, we worked hard on logistics to bring the car park works forward and create more space for storage and deliveries.

Jim Miles, Strategic Director at Guildford:

"The relationship on this project between Willmott Dixon and Guildford Borough Council has been excellent and has, by some measure, exceeded the Council’s expectations on a project of this kind. I cannot
commend Willmott Dixon highly enough.”

Top environmental performance

By achieving BREEAM 'Excellent', we achieved a score of 74%, beating the BREEAM “Excellent” threshold of 70%. G Live also scored 90% of the available credits for management and water, and 96.5% for energy and transport. We hope that this provides an example of good sustainable construction to venues across the country.

We're proud that G Live is the region’s landmark venue for the performing arts, culture and entertainment. Not only does it feature a fabulously wide-ranging programme of events onstage, it offers a purpose-built conference and corporate hospitality facilities, all in a stylish, contemporary and welcoming setting.

This follows similar venues built in Newport, Shrewsbury, Aylesbury, Cardiff and Bristol. If you want a top quality new venue to entertain people, speak to us!