Phase 2 of Wellington Orbit’s renovation continues to move forward at pace thanks to our appointed contractors, Paveaways Ltd. Our vision to bring the upper floors back into active use to create adaptable, inclusive spaces for the community is starting to take real shape. 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.

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

🧱Creating Bigger, Brighter spaces

On the first floor, demolition of dividing walls is well underway. These changes are already opening up rooms into larger, flexible spaces that will be perfect for a wide range of uses, from community events to creative workshops. It’s a dramatic shift that lays the groundwork for a much more versatile Orbit.

Lift shaft pre-works ongoing

A major structural rework is progressing in the central section of the building, preparing for the installation of our new lift shaft. This is one of the more complex parts of the project and represents a crucial step towards making the building more accessible.

To support the new lift installation, a structural wall has now been erected in the café area. This milestone resulted in temporary disruption to our café and cinema operations, and we’d like to say thank you to all our customers for bearing with us during this important stage.

 ☕ Overflow café/events space starts to take shape

Work has now started on the new overflow café and events space, located on the corner of the building by the large bay window overlooking All Saints Church.  Internal walls have been removed, and the flooring has been replaced with reinforced structural supports alongside a new base flooring to ensure the space is ready for future use.

Once complete, this will offer extra seating and a welcoming space for larger gatherings from daytime café space to private hire, comedy & quiz nights, music performances and more.

🔨 July at a Glance: Visible Progress

July has brought some exciting visible developments:

🏗 Scaffolding (Stage 1) has now been erected, giving access to key exterior areas for the next stage of exterior works.

🪟 Window replacements are underway, giving the building a refreshed and future-ready appearance, whilst keeping to the conservation area standards.

🚽 The first-floor toilet block is starting to take shape, another step towards turning the upper floors into usable, welcoming spaces.

🔭 Looking Ahead

With walls coming down, spaces opening up, and structural work progressing well, 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/