Construction work on a new building to house Belfast’s ageing Lyric Theatre is now underway.

The £18m new build — designed by architects O’Donnell & Tuomey — will be constructed at a new location in order to provide a theatre almost four times the size of the original 1968 site.

The Lyric’s new home will comprise a 394-seat main auditorium, a 150-seat studio theatre, a rehearsal room, riverfront foyers and a bar, dressing rooms, technical facilities and office accommodation.

Dedicated education facilities will enable school children to access arts programmes at the theatre, when it opens in 2011.

Chair of the theatre, Mark Carruthers, said: “This is a red letter day for the Lyric and we are delighted to have received the green light to commence construction.

“It has taken over seven years to get to this point, but we have remained steadfast in our vision and worked tirelessly to raise over £16.5m in an increasingly difficult economic climate.”

Staff at the Lyric Theatre raised 95 per cent of project costs via funding from the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure, the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and Belfast City Council, as well as from private trusts and foundations, corporate sponsors and individual philanthropists.

However, a further £1m must be raised during the construction period to pay for the fit-out and equipment.

Roisín McDonough, CEO of the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, said: “As the principal funder of the Lyric Theatre for decades, the Arts Council is delighted to see the start of the new build.

“It will increase the opportunities for everyone to participate in and enjoy the arts, not only as audience members, but also as participants in exciting education and outreach programmes.”

It is hoped that the new facility will enhance and encourage increased participation in the arts in Northern Ireland, which currently suffers from the lowest per capita arts spend in the UK and Ireland.