Historic city building to undergo amazing transformation
A HISTORIC Newcastle city centre building is set for a spectacular transformation.
The mostly-disused Claremont Building, which is home to the Teahouse on the ground floor, will be brought back to life as a new exhibition and events space.
Newcastle University has now won planning permission for its project to turn the Grade II-listed Barras Bridge site, which dates back to 1896, into a new “urban room” where city residents can “learn about their past, present and future through an open and welcoming centre”.
The university announced last year that it was renaming the building after Sir Terry Farrell, a world-renowned architect who grew up in Gosforth and produced designs for some of Newcastle’s most famous landmarks.
Sir Terry donated £1m to the university in 2018 as well as his personal archive to be displayed at the new Farrell Centre.
A planning application for the redevelopment stated that it could be a “project of national significance” and “revive a historically significant building which has remained vacant for a number of years”. It adds: “The centre will cater for a wide range of users, and alongside the temporary exhibitions and ‘urban room’ spaces, there are also incubator spaces provided for start-up businesses and seminar/engagement spaces to the upper floors.
“These spaces will be used for functions and meetings of various organisations including the Royal Town Planning Institute, Landscape Institute, Royal Institute of British Architects, Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, Institution of Civil Engineers, Newcastle University, and various focus and community groups.”