City Hall, Sunderland
City Hall is the new headquarters of the Sunderland City Council. It is located on the Vaux Site, adjacent to Keel Square,[1] and was completed in November 2021.[2]
| City Hall | |
|---|---|
City Hall nearing completion in 2021 | |
Location within Tyne and Wear | |
| General information | |
| Type | City Hall |
| Town or city | Sunderland, Tyne and Wear |
| Country | England |
| Coordinates | 54°54′28″N 1°23′10″W / 54.907878°N 1.386170°WCoordinates: 54°54′28″N 1°23′10″W / 54.907878°N 1.386170°W |
| Construction started | 2019 |
| Completed | September 2021 |
| Cost | £42 Million |
| Owner | Sunderland City Council |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | FaulknerBrowns Architects |
| Engineer | Cundall |
History
The new building was commissioned to replace the old Sunderland Civic Centre which had been the home of the council since 1970.[3] The council estimated that it would cost £5 million to refurbish the old civic centre and therefore decided to procure a new structure instead.[4]
Construction of the new building started in November 2019.[5] It is being designed by FaulknerBrowns and is being built by Bowmer + Kirkland at a cost of £42 million.[6][7] The development is being financed by Legal & General as part of a larger programme of investment in the city totalling £100 million.[8][9] The design involves two office blocks, one of five-storeys and the other of six-storeys, connected by a glass atrium, facing onto St Mary's Way.[10] The total area created by the new glass and steel structure will be 190,000 square feet (18,000 m2).[11] The contractual arrangements envisage some area being made available to accommodate the housing provider, Gentoo, and the Department for Work and Pensions as well as Sunderland City Council.[12]
Progress was delayed by two months because of the COVID-19 pandemic but recommenced in May 2020.[13] However, the topping out of the building was completed by civic leaders in August 2020,[14] and it opened to the public on 29 November 2021.[2]
References
- ^ "How Sunderland's Vaux site is taking shape as City Hall reaches 'landmark' moment". Chronicle Live. 3 March 2020. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
- ^ a b "Exclusive - a first look inside Sunderland's new £42m City Hall". Sunderland Echo. 25 November 2021. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
- ^ "Why struggling English councils are spending millions on new offices". Financial Times. 8 May 2019. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
- ^ "Destruction of brutalist architecture in north of England prompts outcry". The Guardian. 3 January 2021. Retrieved 29 March 2021.
- ^ "Sunderland City Council spends £10,500 on 'impressive' cafe revamp at Civic Centre - despite preparing to move into £42 million new building". Sunderland Echo. 3 January 2020. Retrieved 29 March 2021.
- ^ "B+K wins £42m Sunderland City Hall contract". PBC Today. 23 October 2019. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
- ^ "B+K wins £42m landmark Sunderland civic hall". Construction Enquiror. 23 October 2019. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
- ^ "Investment group L&G makes £100m investment to trigger transformation of Sunderland". Chronicle Live. 21 November 2019. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
- ^ "Legal & general to transform Sunderland Skyline". North East Times Magazine. 24 March 2021. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
- ^ "Sunderland City Hall". Steelconstruction.info. Retrieved 29 March 2021.
- ^ "Footage gives stunning glimpse of progress on City Hall". Riverside Sunderland. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
- ^ "See Sunderland's new City Hall rise into skyline on old Vaux site". Sunderland Echo. 4 March 2021. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
- ^ "Work restarts on new Sunderland City Hall as lockdown eases - with 'safety first' promise from chiefs". Sunderland Echo. 12 May 2020. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
- ^ "Construction of new Sunderland City Hall reaches topping out". Norther Echo. 3 August 2020. Retrieved 3 April 2021.