Liverpool Philharmonic Hall, UK, welcomed back members of the public on 13 November following the completion of part of its £13.8m (US$21.5m, €17.3m) refurbishment.

An ongoing project to completely refurbish the interior of the 1939 concert hall is being headed up by architects Caruso St. John, who have previously worked on sites such as the Tate Britain and the Barbican in London.

Originally designed by Herbert Rowse, the project at the Grade II-listed hall is split across two phases, both of which will hopefully be complete by summer 2015.

Phase one of the refurbishment is focused on the main hall, including; work on the auditorium, all public, front of house spaces, and backstage dressing rooms. Phase two will see the construction of a new space, acting as a smaller venue that will host performances and a learning programme.

The work that has been completed so far (as part of phase one) consists of a revamp of the main concert hall, auditorium and the grand foyer – which now contains a chandelier made of glass bottles.

Michael Eakin, Chief Executive of Royal Liverpool Philharmonic said: “The completion of the full complex in summer 2015 will be one of the highlights of Liverpool Philharmonic’s 175th anniversary year.”