Sunderland City Hall tops out

Bowmer + Kirkland has officially topped out Sunderland’s new City Hall project, which is at the heart of the transformation of the former Vaux brewery site.

The steel-framed project will provide a mix of private and public uses, while consolidating a wide range of municipal services previously located across eight locations around the city, bringing them together under one roof. In addition to municipal customer services, the building will comprise a fitness room and an employment centre.

The project consists of two office blocks, one five-storeys high and the other six-storeys, which are separated by a central full-height covered atrium,

Councillor Graeme Miller (pictured right), Leader of Sunderland City Council, said topping out marked an important milestone for the building, and the wider development of the Riverside Sunderland site.

We’re thrilled to see the outline of what will be an important new building for Sunderland residents take shape.

“City Hall will act as a hub for a range of organisations that offer help and support to people living in Sunderland, bringing them together under one roof to make it easy for our residents to access the assistance they need to prosper.”

Bowmer + Kirkland Senior Project Manager Paul Anderson (pictured left) said: “We are delighted to reach this key milestone in the development which is all the more satisfying given that the structure has been erected in the height of the COVID 19 pandemic.

“We can now look forward to making the building watertight with the architectural façade and commencement of the fit-out works.”

Hambleton Steel has fabricated, supplied and erected 1,000t of structural steelwork for the project.