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Work starts on Sunderland hotel
Building work gets underway this month on a new multi-million pound hotel in Sunderland City Centre. Designed by architects Faulkner Brown,
the contemporary five-storey Premier Inn will comprise 125 guestrooms, a restaurant, bar and meetings rooms. The University of Sunderland and Sunderland City Council have worked with developer GB Group to support the delivery of the £6m hotel development, which will improve the connectivity between the university and the city centre. Included in the development scheme will
be repairs to and remodelling of the Grade II-listed former Gas Board building. Demolition of later additions to the original building will make way for the new hotel, with salvaging of structures or detailing of archaeological significance integral to the demolition. “The hotel will provide further scope for
New look for Natural History Museum
The Natural History Museum wants a new look for its grounds to give the Victorian site a modern setting.
The museum has launched a design
competition to find a team of architects and designers to create an innovative exterior setting that matches the architecture of the 19th century site while ensuring that the museum grounds are easily accessible to all visitors. Attracting more than five million visitors
a year, the Natural History Museum is one of the UK’s top visitor attractions and houses over 70 million specimens from around the world.
The recent transformation of the Exhibition Road Cultural Quarter has prompted the museum to develop its public realm. “The Natural History Museum is
renowned for inspiring architecture that celebrates the natural world and is one of London’s most iconic buildings. The grounds surrounding the building make an important contribution to how people experience the museum,” says Michael Dixon, director of the Natural History Museum.
The winning team is expected to be announced in February 2014, following a public exhibition of the entries.
£16m leisure centre opens
The new £16m Haven Point centre at Pier Parade, South Shields, represents the single biggest investment ever made into leisure facilities in South Tyneside. It features a 25m competition pool as well as an 18m training pool with adjustable floors for varying age groups and abilities. Built to replace the old swimming pool
at Temple Park, it also houses leisure waters, complete with slides, sprays and a water play area. Other facilities at Haven Point include
an 86-station gym, two dance studios, a sauna and steam room, café, amphitheatre, visitor information centre and a roof top viewing gallery.
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growth in the university’s events and conference business, UniSpace, and is a welcome addition to Sunderland’s leisure and business tourism offer,” says Phil Marsh, director of estates and facilities at the University of Sunderland. “The physical design and landscaping
will continue the improvements made in the connectivity between the city campus and city centre and builds on the investment made by the university over the past eight years.” The project is due for completion by
February 2015.
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