How the Fire Station went from a mothballed municipal building to a red hot venue

Fast forward to today and it’s a jewel in Sunderland’s culture crown, which brings all manner of acts to the Wearside stage, from comedians and contemporary dance to tribute acts and household names like Franz Ferdinand.

As part of a series of spotlight features, we take a look back at the journey of how a mothballed municipal building became an all-singing, all-dancing venue for the future.

It all started with the vision of Paul Callaghan, chair of the Sunderland Music, Arts and Culture (MAC) Trust.

Established back in 2012, the trust is a catalyst for cultural activity in the city with projects like The Cultural Spring, which brings arts to people’s doorsteps, and the free Summer Streets festival which has become an annual highlight of the city’s events calendar and more.

In the shadow of the Sunderland Empire, Paul saw the potential for the old Fire Station to plug the gap for a mid-size venue in the city, one which could programme a broad range of cultural events.

Turning up the heat

First on the agenda was to tackle the original Fire Station building which opened to much fanfare in 1908.

Designed by Fawcett Street architects, brothers William and Thomas Ridley Milburn, it was a state-of-the-art station back then with electric lights throughout and dormitories for the firefighters.

In the early days, a total of 20 firemen were employed there, while behind the station was a separate block where married firefighters and their families lived, which was demolished in the 1970s.

There were also stables and at the opening of the station in 1908, a year after the Empire Theatre, it was presented with a “horsed ambulance” paid for by public subscription.

It went on to serve the city for decades, surviving wartime bombing raids, until it closed in 1992 when operations and engines transferred to the modern Sunderland Central Fire Station, in Railway Row, behind the Museum Vaults pub.

With its elegant facade and fine architectural detail, such as flaming torches between the windows, it was never an eyesore as such - but it was in desperate need of new life.

It rose again in 2017 and reopened as The Fire Station with the Engine Room bar and restaurant on the ground floor and its upper floors home to studios.

It was restored with help from the Heritage Lottery Fund, its handsome features and rich history honoured - you’ll even find the names of former firefighters on tiles above the pegs near to the back entrance.

Today, the bar is a popular feature in the town, particularly for pre-match and pre-gig meals and drinks.

Its old Parade Ground has new life too, with its own outdoor stage hosting events and gigs like the popular Summer Party series which this year will host everyone from The Futureheads to Ibiza in Symphony.

Meanwhile, the top floors houses the Northern Academy Of Music Education (NAME), a higher education facility, in partnership with University of Sunderland, which equips young people with the skills to enter a career in music.

Auditorium extension

Four years after the opening of The Fire Station, the MAC Trust charity’s vision for the site to become a beacon of the city’s cultural future was realised in spectacular fashion when the auditorium opened.

The £11m state-of-the art facility was built on the site of an old car park, sharing an entrance with the original Fire Station, its architectural lines and terracotta aesthetic blending perfectly with its older wing and surrounding Edwardian buildings.

After two years of building works, it opened its doors in December 2021 with a performance from The Lake Poets and Kathryn Tickell and The Darkening.

It’s proved a real asset to the city; a mid-size venue which holds 800 people standing and 550 seated, which bridges the gap in the city between larger venues such as the Stadium, the Empire and The Point and smaller venues such as Independent.

Its top grade acoustics have gone on to host a wide range of local and national talent, from all manner of genres.

And the building itself has proved a star of the show.

Last year, it was named as RIBA North East Client of the Year in the annual awards by Royal Institute of British Architects.

And so it should - it’s a fantastic piece of architecture.

No expense was spared in creating this new building the city can be proud of.

Its design is thanks to Flanagan Lawrence Architects, with design director Jason Flanagan also responsible for the iconic Sage Gateshead during his time at Foster and Partners.

Its blend of style and functionality was brought to life by Sunderland construction firm Brims with Howarth Litchfield Architects acting as delivery architects during the build.

Today, our skyline is changing at a pace not seen in a generation and while new builds are an important and vital part of regeneration, The Fire Station shows how our old buildings can also be a cornerstone for change, rising from the ashes for a bright future.