The 1890s were seen in without the Chair Pier. Built in 1823, this was destroyed in 1896 after a great storm. The decade was seen out by the opening of the Palace Pier in 1899. Work had begun on this in 1891 and, at the time, a condition to be met by its builders was that the Chain Pier (which had fallen into a state of disrepair) was to be demolished. They were saved this task by the storm! A concert hall on the Palace Pier was opened two years later. By 1911 this had become a theatre .