'Pavilion' plan unveiled for Sunderland city centre - this is how it might look

Plans for a towering ‘pavilion’ structure and exhibition space in the heart of Sunderland city centre have been submitted to council development chiefs.

Sunderland City Council’s planning department has received an application for a new focal point at Keel Square featuring a giant screen.

The ‘Sunderland Pavilion’ is described as a contemporary exhibition and immersive space and centrepiece for Expo Sunderland, a series of events celebrating “innovation and ambition” in the city taking place up to 2026.

A design and access statement submitted with the plans states the structure would “explore the evolving notion of the future home beyond 2030”,

Plans submitted by the city council’s regeneration company Siglion aim to replace the large digital screen at Keel Square with a new temporary transparent structure set in a metal frame.

The pavilion would be open to visitors in the summer, hosting exhibitions and showcasing local talent and innovation, along with a viewing platform to allow people to watch the city’s new Culture House take shape, and areas for large installations and displays.

Developed by Sunderland City Council, the upper deck of the building would feature a 10m x 5m screen, with two 5m x 5m screen ‘wings’.

The screen aims to inspire with a range of visual displays, with some appearing 3D due to the translucent material the screen is made from, as well as having the capability to live stream content from around the world.

An audio system would also be integrated with the screen and positioned across Keel Square “enriching the visitor experience with immersive soundscapes”.

The project has been supported with funding from the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology 5G Innovation Regions Grant, following a successful bid from the council that centred around the city’s digital capabilities.

Successful grant funding will help the council purchase the screen, which aims to demonstrate Sunderland’s “smart city capabilities”, including tapping into its 5G network.

Councillor Kevin Johnston, cabinet member for Dynamic City, said Sunderland Pavilion represents an opportunity to engage residents and visitors in a new and exciting way.

Cllr Johnston said: “The structure itself will contain amazing displays and interactive exhibitions that really capture the imagination of people who visit, while the monolithic scale of the screen that stands above it will allow us to create really exciting content that will appear to be floating in the air above the house.

“We want to showcase pioneering innovative concepts for the future home in Sunderland in a building that pushes boundaries and sparks imagination.

“This fits brilliantly into our plans for Expo, which will bring many thousands of people to our transforming Riverside Sunderland, to experience the incredible level of change in this part of the city, as well as informing the content of Culture House, which will open its doors in 2025.”

The Sunderland Pavilion is large enough to house a vehicle, with some design images showing an electric Nissan car parked in a large transparent space on the ground floor.

It also stands next to the proposed location of Sunderland’s new library and cultural venue the Culture House, which is currently under construction.

A design and access statement submitted to council planners states the pavilion project would “re-imagine the future home beyond 2030 in the heart of Sunderland, celebrating advancements in construction, technology, and collaboration”.

This includes “Nissan’s principles of providing a comprehensive solution for renewable and sustainable living” and showcasing “second-life systems, utilising batteries previously used in the Nissan LEAF”.

Sunderland-based architecture, civil and structural engineering firm, Building Design Northern (BDN), have designed the Sunderland Pavilion which aims to respond to surrounding architecture at Keel Square.

Richard Marsden, managing director at BDN, said: “To have the opportunity to design a space that will be enjoyed by local families, including my own, and visitors to Sunderland is something we’re really proud to support, as a business that is based, and investing, in the city.”

Funding for the giant digital screen forms part of the Department for Science Innovation and Technology 5G Innovation Regions’ £37 million grant, of which the seven North East local authorities successfully bid to receive over £3.7 million to support this and three other 5G and advanced wireless connectivity projects.

The North East projects aim to support the region’s digital strategy to build on key strengths, drive innovation and unlock opportunities for economic growth through digital infrastructure.

A decision on the Sunderland Pavilion will be made once a period of council consultation has concluded.

Sunderland City Council’s planning portal website lists a decision deadline of May 6, 2024.

For more information on the planning application or to track its progress, visit the council’s planning portal website and search reference: 24/00405/FU4

For more information on Expo Sunderland, visit its website here: https://www.exposunderland.com