A large chunk of the Royal Sussex’s Barry Building has now been torn down as demolition of the listed building continues.
The Georgian building, opened in 1828, is being knocked down to make way for he next phase in the £750 million modernisation of the Royal Sussex County Hospital, in Eastern Road, Brighton.
It is to be replaced by the Sussex Cancer Centre which is moving from the eastern end of the hospital site.
The Barry Building, named after its architect Charles Barry, who also designed St Peter’s Church and the Houses of Parliament, is the first of about half a dozen outdated buildings to come down.
The others include the fracture clinic on the south west corner of the hospital site.
Then, behind the Barry Building, the IT and data centre, the Nigel Porter Unit and the ENT (ear, nose and throat) building are due to removed.
And finally, the modular Hanbury Building, next to the new Louisa Martindale Building, fronting Eastern Road, will be taken down.
Planning permission for the 10-year hospital modernisation scheme was originally granted in 2012 but plans for the Sussex Cancer Centre have since been updated.
A public consultation in the autumn sought feedback on the revised design and comments will be taken into account as the trust finalises a formal application to amend its plans.
The application is due to be submitted to the council in the coming weeks.
Out with the old, in with the new.
Aye, the renovations are sorely needed at the hospital. Either it being one of only a handful of major trauma centres throughout England, there’s a very clear importance on having a modern, state-of-the-art, purpose-built facility.
The trauma arises from going into the place.
Thus, it’s important to improve it! Glad you agree!
The Barry Building is not listed nationally nor is it on the council’s local list of heritage assets too. Only the chapel of the Royal Sussex County Hospital is listed and that has been moved to the new Louisa Martindale Building.
The Barry Building was the oldest operational NHS building in the country until its closure last year.
It is on the local list
https://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/planning/heritage/local-list-heritage-assets-directory/eastern-road-royal-sussex-county-hospital-barry-building-brighton
What a criminal waste of a Listed building. Surely it could have been moved elsewhere and reconstructed as many other heritage buildings have been.
It’s a fair comment, Barry. Maybe it could have?
I’m not too fussed about heritage buildings when they serve a functionality like a hospital. I feel in those instances, the function is more important, but I am not against the idea of preservation either.
Sure thing but I’d rather the NHS budgets are spent on patients than some bricks
Wonder if outpatients will be replaced. Its the building lots of us see when see a consultant outdated.
After staying in the Barry building 2 years ago it’s a shame they didn’t ask for volunteers to help demolish it, horrible place
Wasn’t worth saving. New cancer centre is much more useful.
Tragic loss of the main entrance spiral staircase and mural
Spent hours wandering around at night when
Various family members were inpatient
Very sad