£27million Culture House takes its place in Sunderland's skyline

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Sunderland’s £27million Culture House is really taking its place in the city’s skyline.

Culture House is taking its place in the city’s skylineCulture House is taking its place in the city’s skyline
Culture House is taking its place in the city’s skyline | Sunderland Echo

Set to be a major visitor attraction for the city, Culture House is one of the key players in the ongoing regeneration of the city centre, a culture hub offering a mix of library, creative, digital and community spaces.

Due to open in Autumn 2025, the project is part funded by the Government’s Future High Streets Fund and is expected to boost city spending while attracting more than half a million visitors a year, according to city leaders.

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These images, taken on October 24, show the scale of the project as it reaches its full height.

Sunderland Echo

The four-storey building stands on the site of the former group of buildings comprising The Corner Flag pub, the old Annabel's nightclub and Luciano's restaurant which were demolished to make way for the new development.

Sunderland City Council, which is leading the development, appointed leading UK construction company Kier to build the eye-catching venue, which has been designed by award-winning North East practice FaulknerBrowns Architects. 

A neighbouring structure is also being erected on Keel Square. The ‘Sunderland Pavilion’ will serve as an exhibition space and centrepiece for Expo Sunderland, a series of events celebrating innovation and ambition in the city taking place up to 2026.

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The structure is towering into the skylineThe structure is towering into the skyline
The structure is towering into the skyline | Sunderland Echo

Recently, a programme of events was announced to give people a flavour of what to expect from Culture House.

Ahead of the opening next autumn, the project has commissioned 12 programme partners to deliver activities between November 2024 and February 2025.

Taking place at the Creative Smart Hubs at Washington and Houghton, as well as at the Keel Square Pavilion, the pre-opening programme will give communities a flavour of the type of activity they can expect when the venue opens.

A programme of taster activities start later this yearA programme of taster activities start later this year
A programme of taster activities start later this year | Sunderland Echo

All the successful programme partners are based in the North East, with the majority of them Sunderland organisations.

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Activities will include script writing courses, fashion design, craft, conversation sessions and sustainability workshops; giving just a glimpse of what will be on offer in around a year's time.

The 12 programme partners delivering the preopening events are Harbour Printworks, Pink Collar Gallery, Reinvented with Love, Ellie Clewlow and Kirsten Luckins, The Art Room, New Writing North, King Ink, Holmeside Writers, Curious Arts, Threads in the Ground, Southpaw and Tactic North.

This project is funded by Sunderland City Council and also by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

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