The stunning transformation of Devonport’s Market Hall – one of Plymouth’s most significant and historic buildings – will be open for everyone to witness in July.
The Real Ideas Organisation will showcase the contemporary re-imagining of the site on July 17 and 18, including the opportunity to experience one of only two world-class immersive domes for the very first time.
Devonport’s Market, when the area was known as Plymouth Dock, was at the end of Fore Street near the Dockyard gate. It was moved in 1762 to a new site, when stalls were erected on the site of some stagnant ponds. In 1835, the Royal Assent was given to the Devonport Market Act 1835, which authorised the enlargement of the Market and the establishment of a market for corn, grain and other articles, leading to the Market Hall being built in 1852.
In 1940 the ARP (Air Raid Precautions) used the basement of the Market as a control room but it was damaged in the air raids of April 1941 and in 1951, the impressive building was taken inside the Royal Dockyard boundary in 1956 as part of the Navy’s post-war expansion.
For the last four years, Plymouth’s Real Ideas Organisation, who are also responsible for the rejuvenation of the nearby Devonport Guildhall and now also run Ocean Studios in the Royal William Yard, have been completely re-imagining and transforming the building as a pioneering centre for digital arts.
Developed in partnership with Plymouth City Council and the Institute of Digital Art and Technology at the University of Plymouth, the Market Hall is a £7.6m project which will create a new space for digital, especially those working in immersive and creative applications of technology. The project has been supported with funding from Arts Council England, the Department for Culture Media, Digital and Sport, and ERDF funding through the Heart of the South West LEP. All of this is new investment into Plymouth from national and European sources.
The Market Hall’s immersive dome is the first of its type (15m diameter, 210 degrees over the top, with a flat floor) in Europe. The only other like it in the world can be found at SAT in Montreal, Canada.
Needing just two projectors to cover the full surface of the dome, the tech at the Market Hall is cutting edge and creates a seamless shared virtual reality experience without the need for a headset. The bespoke sound system, boasting 19 channels of audio, encases the dome and adds to what is a truly immersive experience with the power to transport visitors anywhere in the universe – real or imagined – that you can dream of!
Free tickets are now available for the public to book online at www.realideas.org – with hourly slots for arrival times throughout the day and up to six tickets available per group for families and social bubbles.
As they tour the building, hundreds of people will be able to enjoy an immersive experience in the Market Hall dome, in a COVID safe way, for the very first time. There will also be the opportunity to have a tour of the Grade II listed building and enjoy food and drink from the on-site café. Due to COVID restrictions, tickets must be booked in advance via the website.
The Market Hall joins the growing Real Ideas campus of spaces including Ocean Studios and Devonport Guildhall in Plymouth and CSpace in Newquay.
To find out more visit www.realideas.org/market-hall
