Back to its former glory: Hammersmith Apollo opens its doors after a £5million refit that has restored original art deco designs

• The Hammersmith venue will be known as the Eventim Apollo following a nine week restoration project
• The venue originally opened its doors back in 1932 and was known as the Guadmont Palace Cinema
• Since then it has changed hands several times and been known as the Carling Apollo and HMV Apollo
• Pop singer Selena Gomez will be the first act to grace the new look stage when it opens tomorrow night
  

By Steve Nolan

Published: 15:25 EDT, 6 September 2013 | Updated: 04:29 EDT, 7 September 2013

It is one of the UK's most celebrated music venues, famed as the venue where David Bowie killed off his Ziggy Stardust alter-ego. But it recent years it had become known as something of a tired venue in drastic need of a refurb.

Now the Hammersmith Apollo has been given a multi-million pound revamp and restored to the art deco glory of its early days.

The venue, to be known as the Eventim Apollo, will re-open its doors to a sell out crowd tomorrow after a nine week closure which saw the venue gutted and fixtures and fittings restored to their original style.

Curtain up: The newly refurbished Eventim Apollo is to reopen its doors after a £5million revamp tomorrow night

Return to glory days: The venue, which is steeped in musical history, has been fully restored to its former art deco glory

New life: The building, famed as the venue where David Bowie killed off alter-ego Ziggy Stardust, had become somewhat tired before its facelift

Stunning: Many of the building's original fixtures and fittings have been revived as part of the revamp

Ornate plasterwork has been restored to its original 1932 design, some original features which had gradually been concealed during various buyouts and refurbishments over the decade are once again part of the furniture and original mosaic floor panels will once again be walked over by hundreds of thousands of gig goers each year.

Even the Apollo's original colour scheme has been revived, with a 'historically sensitive' redecoration breathing new life into the former cinema.

Work to transform the venue will continue as seats are reupholstered over a nine month period that will see some of the biggest names in pop and comedy perform on stage.

The building was originally commissioned in 1928 by Davis Company, who appointed Robert Cromie - the man behind the Prince of Wales Theatre in Central London - as its head architect.

Historic: The Apollo, now co-owned by US live-music promotion giant AEG Live and German ticketing vendor CTS Eventim, opened in 1932 and is one of the UK's most celebrated music venues

Art deco: The foyer of the new look venue, which will see a host of top names grace the stage in the coming months, is pictured

Back in time: The venue has been decorated in the same colour scheme as when it originally opened its doors back in 1932

As if to prophecise a future that would see the building change hands and name numerous times over the years, the site was bought out by Gaumont in 1930 before construction work had even begun.

When it finally opened its doors in March 1932, it seated more than 3,500 people. Its fan-shaped auditorium and 35ft deep stage ensured a perfect viewfor all.

The original auditorium also featured a Compton4manual/15 Ranks theatre organ.

The building became the Hammersmith Odeon in 1962 and became popularly known as the 'Hammy O' among locals.

Iconic: The venue has changed hands and name several times over the decades, but has continued to play host to some of the biggest names in music

Revamp: Work to improve the Apollo is ongoing, with seats to be reupholstered over the coming months

The future's bright: The Apollo's bar areas are much brighter thanks to the re-introuduction of natural light

New look: The building, which was granted Grade II listing in 1990 and was upgraded to Grade II* in 2005 became known as the Hammersmith Apollo in the mid 1990s

New light: Original art deco window designs that had been covered up have been revealed and a new multi-couloured LED lighting system has been installed

Popular: The venue has hosted some of the biggest names in music and comedy over the years

The venue begun hosting some of the biggest names on the music scene shortly afterwards, with The Beatles appearing there 38 times between 1964 and 1965 and other star names such as the Rolling Stones and The Who playing to packed out crowds.

It was known as the Odeon up until 1992 when the name was changed to the Labatt's Apollo. Stage star Michael Ball was the last person to play the Odeon and first to play the Labatt's Apollo both as part of the same sell-out tour.

The Apollo also hosted a range of top shows including Riverdance and Joseph and the Technicolour Dreamcoat after it was renamed.

The building, which was granted Grade II listing in 1990 and was upgraded to Grade II* in 2005 became known as the Hammersmith Apollo in the mid 1990s.

A further name change was on the cards in 2003 when the venue became the Carling Apollo Hammersmith. The takeover saw removeable seats introduced for the first time which enabled the Apollo to be used as either an all seater or standing venue. The capacity changed to 5,039 standing and 3,632 seated.

Thanks partly to the encouragement of Hammersmith and Fulham Council, the original theatre organ was restored in 2006 having been put in storage during the 1990s.

The Apollo was bought out again in 2007, this time by entertainment company Mama Group, and renamed yet again two years later, becoming the HMV Hammersmith Apollo.

In recent years, the likes of Oasis, Elton john, REM, Stereophonics and Peter Kay have performed there.

But the new look Apollo will see songstress Selena Gomez, perhaps not quite as well known to the more discerning music fan, take to the stage.

Billy Joel, Paul Weller, Jimmy Carr, the Pixies and Russell Brand are among those to perform there later this year.

The overhaul of the venue, which has also see two original marble staircases by the stage uncovered, has been masterminded by Foster Wilson architects.

Colin Chapple, CEO of AEG Live which owns the Apollo, said: 'I am sure when you have time to look around or indeed come back to enjoy a concert or comedy night you will appreciate we have made real improvements in this first phase to what is one of London’s premier venues.'

It had been reported that the venue was under threat when a Dubai sheikh apparently bid £75million for the site earlier this year with the intention of turning it into a furniture warehouse.

Famous: The venue is known as being the place where David Bowie finally laid to rest his Ziggy Stardust alter-ego. He is pictured here performing at the Hammy O in 1973

Welcoming: The bar area looks bright and airy thanks to the unveiling of windows that had previously been covered up

Restoration: Thanks partly to the encouragement of Hammersmith and Fulham Council, the original theatre organ was restored in 2006 having been put in storage during the 1990s

Big names: Billy Joel, left, and Paul Weller, right are among the big name acts who will perform at the Apollo in the coming months

Funny men: Jimmy Carr, left, and Russell Brand, right, will both grace the stage at the revamped Apollo

Relief: It had been reported that the venue was under threat when a Dubai sheikh apparently bid £75million for the site earlier this year with the intention of turning it into a furniture warehouse

Grand: The overhaul of the venue, which has also see two original marble staircases by the stage uncovered, has been masterminded by Foster Wilson architects

Grand designs: Original floor mosaics have been given a spruce up as part of the refurbishment