LEP to Regenerate Margate Winter Gardens
LEP is working on proposals for the refurbishment and regeneration of Margate Winter Gardens, a prominent historic venue overlooking Margate Main Sands and the North Sea.
Occupying an elevated position on Fort Crescent and located close to Margate town centre, the Winter Gardens has long been a defining feature of the town’s cultural landscape. The project seeks to bring this landmark building back into active public use, restoring its role as a vibrant destination for entertainment, education and community life.
A Landmark with a Rich History
Originally opened in 1911, Margate Winter Gardens was designed as a major concert and leisure venue, partially sunk into the cliff to preserve sea views from Fort Crescent. At its height, the building could accommodate thousands of visitors across indoor and open-air spaces and was richly decorated in a Neo-Grecian style.
The venue flourished during the 1920s and 1930s and later served an important role during the Second World War, including use as an ARP shelter and food depot. Following post-war restoration, the Winter Gardens entered a golden era during the 1950s and 1960s, hosting nationally and internationally renowned performers.
Like many seaside venues, the Winter Gardens experienced decline from the 1970s onwards due to changing leisure habits and economic pressures. More recently, Margate’s cultural revival has renewed interest in the building, although concerns around condition and long-term viability led to its closure in 2022. The Winter Gardens is now owned and managed by Westwood One Theatre.
Vision and Design Approach
The vision for the Margate Winter Gardens project is to regenerate the building as a heritage-led, multi-functional public venue, celebrating its historic character while introducing sustainable, contemporary uses.
The proposals aim to:
- Restore and reopen the Main Hall and Queen’s Hall as performance and event spaces
- Introduce a diverse mix of complementary uses to ensure year-round activity
- Improve accessibility and connections between the building, the seafront and Margate town
- Secure a viable long-term future for this important historic asset
By working with the existing fabric of the building and adopting a light-touch restoration approach, the project seeks to balance conservation with adaptation.
Proposed Uses
The refurbishment introduces a carefully considered mix of uses designed to support culture, education and community life:
- Main Hall and Queen’s Hall: Restored as performance and events venues, supporting a wide range of cultural activities.
- Drama School: Educational spaces integrated with the Queen’s Hall, allowing students to rehearse and perform in a professional environment.
- Rooftop Bar and Restaurant: A modest new addition above the Main Hall, providing indoor dining and an outdoor terrace with panoramic sea views.
- 100-Place Nursery: A secure, self-contained facility responding to local demand and introducing consistent daytime use to the building.
Together, these uses create a lively and flexible building capable of operating throughout the day and across seasons.
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Masterplan and Connectivity
The masterplan focuses on improving internal circulation and strengthening connections between the Winter Gardens, the seafront and the wider town.
New routes, ramps, lifts and public spaces will improve accessibility, while allowing different parts of the building to operate independently. Sensitive extensions support these changes while respecting the symmetry, scale and historic character of the original structure.
Main Hall Restoration
The Main Hall will be reinstated as the heart of the Winter Gardens. Proposals focus on conserving existing decorative features through low-impact restoration, while improving functionality and capacity.
Where possible, historic sea views will be reopened to reinforce the hall’s relationship with its coastal setting. Existing balconies will be retained and adapted to provide additional viewing and hospitality space, supported by upgraded bar facilities.
Queen’s Hall and Drama School
The Queen’s Hall will be refurbished as a flexible space suitable for both seated and standing events, complementing the larger Main Hall.
In conjunction with the proposed drama school, the hall will support creative education alongside public performances. Refurbishment proposals are intentionally light-touch, retaining the character of the space while improving usability.
Rooftop Restaurant
A new rooftop restaurant is proposed above the Main Hall, designed to take full advantage of panoramic views across Margate and the North Sea.
The extension is modest in scale and carefully integrated with the existing building. Separate operating hours and improved access from the upper promenade will strengthen connections between the Winter Gardens, the seafront and Margate town centre.
Nursery Provision
The proposals include a new 80-100 place private nursery located at the upper part of the site near Fort Crescent.
Designed as a secure and self-contained facility, the nursery meets all current space and safeguarding standards. Small extensions on either side of the building retain the symmetry of the site while introducing a valuable community facility.
Public Consultation
Public feedback is a key part of the Margate Winter Gardens project. A public consultation event is being held to present the proposals and gather views from the local community and stakeholders.
Visitors are invited to attend the consultation or share feedback online via this survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/YH7K6HXx
Survey closing 3rd March
