Phase 2 Update � October 2025

Published: 2025-10-06

Phase 2 of Wellington Orbit’s renovation continues to make significant progress thanks to our appointed contractors, Pave Aways Ltd. Our vision to bring the upper floors back into active use to create adaptable, inclusive spaces for the community is becoming a reality. These works mark a significant step forward in realising our long-term vision to enhance our facilities and deliver even greater value to our community.

With any project there are challenges, including hidden structural issues which are to be expected with historic buildings like 1 Station Road, which did cause short delays and cost concerns, but the project overall remains on track for enabling the full potential of Wellington Orbit next year.

Here’s a look at the major progress over the past couple of months:

Halfway milestone reached
Construction is now over 50% complete, a massive achievement from all the team and partners. Since April 2025, significant changes have been made, and we appreciate the continued support we have received from customers, volunteers, staff, partners, and members as we navigate this new chapter.

Roof repairs and new windows
Over the summer, the building was made watertight thanks to roof repairs, alongside new windows being installed. This historic building required significant roof refurbishment to replace decayed timber, and now has a stabilised and reinforced roof structure. The timber window frames and double-glazing both align with conservation area standards whilst improving heating efficiency and noise reduction.

Roof repairs and new windows
Over the summer, the building was made watertight thanks to roof repairs, alongside new windows being installed. This historic building required significant roof refurbishment to replace decayed timber, and now has a stabilised and reinforced roof structure. The timber window frames and double-glazing both align with conservation area standards whilst improving heating efficiency and noise reduction.

Internal structural works continue
Across the building, internal structural changes continue to develop, including first-floor partitions, ceilings, and electrical/mechanical installations, equipping the building with the necessary utilities to support its future use cases. Already we’ve seen the likes of the toilet block, stairways and boardroom start to take shape.

New boardroom and Toilet block on 1st Floor.

New stair case to 2nd Floor and strengthening of walkways.

The studio space’s vaulted ceiling has really started to come to fruition, highlighting the exciting potential this space holds for the future for a variety of multi-functional use cases.

Studio space roof strengthening.

Lift inbound

The new lift is due to be installed later this month following the significant structural changes earlier this year that prepared the new lift shaft. This will be another important milestone, setting the way for an accessible Orbit, providing accessible access to the entire building.

The lift and supporting renovation cost has been made possible thanks to funding from Veolia Environmental Trust.

Community call for decoration support

Wellington Orbit is exploring partnerships with local organisations to involve the community, particularly apprentices and students, in supporting the decorating of the new spaces later this year. This will provide new local opportunities to get involved in creating history, whilst adding value to the project. Any interested organisations who feel they could offer their time/resources are encouraged to get in touch.

Cinema disruption – October/November 2025:

From 10th October until Early November, due to ongoing renovation works around the stairs for the 1st floor, our cinema showtimes will be temporarily altered to minimise impact to our customers cinema experience.

During this period, we will be temporarily amending our cinema programme with the following changes:

Weekdays – Only late afternoon and evening showings, with our afternoon showing now starting around 4:30pm and evening showing around 7:30pm.

Weekends – Standard schedule
The exact showtimes will vary by film and date, and therefore please check the exact time of your screening when booking. We apologise for any inconvenience this causes.

Looking Ahead

With structural work progressing well and significant milestones being achieved, the transformation of the Orbit’s upper floors is truly underway. Each phase brings us closer to a vibrant, multi-purpose cultural hub for Wellington, a place where everyone is welcome and inspired.

The realisation of this vision has been years in the making, and it is thanks to the support of our board, staff, volunteers, partners, and the community that we are now turning this shared vision into reality.

We will continue to share updates as key milestones are reached and recommend signing up to our dedicated project updates mailing list to stay in the loop on the progress at www.wellingtonorbit.co.uk/phase-2/