Opera house drops benefactor name

Alberto Vilar is known as a big supporter of the arts

The Royal Opera House (ROH) has changed the name of its spectacular atrium in London after severing relations with a philanthropist millionaire.

Cuban-American Alberto Vilar pledged £10m to the ROH development appeal in 1999, but paid only a fraction of that.

As a result, the iron and glass atrium centrepiece - which was named the Vilar Floral Hall - will be renamed the Floral Hall with immediate effect.

Mr Vilar is currently facing charges of fraud and money laundering in the US.

Deadlines

The Floral Hall was named the Vilar Floral Hall as part of an agreement made in September 1999 that Mr Vilar would pay £10m towards the Royal Opera House Development Appeal.

He later pledged further money to the Young Artists Programme and several production sponsorships.

The restoration of the hall was part of a £214m refurbishment of the ROH's Covent Garden building.

In total Mr Vilar has paid £4.4m over the past five years.

The ROH's Floral Hall in Covent Garden was renamed after Mr Vilar

But the ROH claim his schedule of payments had to be renegotiated on several occasions and that he consistently failed to reach the new deadlines.

In July, the opera house gave Mr Vilar 60 days to resume payments, which he failed to do.

ROH chief executive Tony Hall said: "The 60 days has lapsed and we have received no communication from Mr Vilar.

"Therefore the Vilar Floral Hall will revert to being known as the Floral Hall.

"We will cease to use Mr Vilar's name on printed material and programmes, and the signage in the public areas will be altered over the next few months in no particular order or time-scale.

"However, in recognition of his generous donation of approximately £4.4m to the Royal Opera House since 1999, he will remain listed on the Donor and Benefactors Board."

Attempts to contact Mr Vilar on Tuesday were unsuccessful.