Architects Patel Taylor have received the go-ahead for a contemporary glass and stone addition to St George’s, a Bristol concert hall housed in a 1823 church.

The firm’s pavilion extension will form the venue’s new entrance. It will house a bar and cafe, with views of the surrounding gardens, as well as containing extra performance and workshop rooms.

‘Working on projects such as St George’s lifts the soul and reminds us once again of why we practise architecture,’ says the firm’s founder Andrew Taylor.

Patel Taylor’s design forms part of the venue’s £5.5 million revamp – dubbed ‘Building a Sound Future’ – to safeguard the future of St George’s, known for its acoustic qualities.

There will also be upgrades to the concert hall’s backstage facilities and when complete, the double-height pavilion space will open out on the estate’s re-laid green space, which will host art fairs and outdoor music events in the summer.

St George’s has been running as a concert hall since the 1970s, when a group of enthusiasts fought to save the neglected Georgian structure.

The pavilion extension is expected to open in October 2017.