The doors of Barbara Hepworth’s former studio in Cornwall the Palais de Danse are to be opened to the public for the first time in almost 50 years.
Tate St Ives is working with Adam Kahn Architects on a major new project to reimagine this incredible building, which was previously one of Barbara Hepworth’s sculpture studios.
On the weekend of April 27 and 28, Tate St Ives will be holding community drop-in sessions at the Palais, offering local residents a rare chance to tour its historic spaces - including the famous dancehall - and hear more from the curators and architects about their plans to realise its potential as a community-focused heritage space.
Tate St Ives is also inviting local residents to share their own memories of visiting the Palais de Danse from 1940 until 1960.
Built on the site of an old naval school, the Palais de Danse is one of the most unique spaces in the heart of St Ives. Formerly a cinema and dance hall, the Palais was also an important hub for community events during the Second World War and beyond.
The building was bought by Barbara Hepworth in 1961 to use as her second studio. This gave her the space to create larger and more complex sculptures, including the monumental Single Form (1961-4) commissioned for the United Nations in New York.
Located directly opposite Trewyn Studio - now the Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden - the Palais was gifted to Tate by the Hepworth Estate in 2015 and was awarded Grade II listed status in 2020.
Together, these buildings housed the entire scope of Hepworth's creative work from 1949-1975.
Tate St Ives said: “The Palais de Danse is both deeply rooted in community memory and central to Hepworth's artistic legacy worldwide. Having remained untouched since Hepworth’s death in 1975, Tate St Ives is now embarking on a major capital project to renovate this significant building with Adam Khan Architects.
“The project will uncover the Palais’s rich history, realise its immense potential for the community and continue its story by securing the building for the long term.”
During the open weekend, people are invited to take a look around the Palais de Danse, discuss early ideas with the architects and curators, and hear more about the process and future plans that will shape the building’s exciting future as a creative space for local residents to use and enjoy.
Visitors will be invited to tour the building’s celebrated dancehall and to share memories and photographs of the Palais from the 1940s, 50s, 60s and beyond.
Tate St Ives will also be offering tours of the neighbouring Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden, providing the chance to explore the full breadth of Hepworth’s life and work in St Ives.
Tate St Ives has been awarded development funding towards the transformation of the Palais de Danse from The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
The project to transform the Palais de Danse has also received support from a number of trusts, foundations and individuals, including The Headley Trust, The Bowness Family, The Hepworth Estate, The Porthmeor Fund, and The Bridget Riley Art Foundation.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here