The regeneration of Newcastle upon Tyne took a major step forward on Monday with the Arts Council’s announcement that it is to provide £43.8m of lottery funding for the £60m Music Centre on Gateshead Quays. The announcement comes a year after architect Fosters & Partners’ design (above) for the centre was first made public.
The proposals include a 1,650-seat concert hall, a smaller 450-seat auditorium, a music school, and a rehearsal hall. A glass-fronted public concourse with views across the Tyne will link the different sections of the complex.
The Music Centre will be home to the Northern Sinfonia and regional folk music organisation Folkworks.
Andrew Bennett, chief executive of the Sinfonia, said: “This is the culmination of several years’ hard work and determination and a giant leap into the future for music in the northern region.”
Preparation work has begun on site and construction will begin next May. The centre is due to open in October 2002.
EGi News 16/11/99
