Newcastle upon Tyne

£50 million Project Cost

Tyne & Wear Dev Corp

Millennium Funding 1996

A masterplan designed by Gary Young with Terry Farrell and Partners for a public education building and Institute of Genetics for the University as a millennium bid for the City of Newcastle and Tyne Wear Development Corporation.

The principal building has a 6000m2 flexible exhibition space with a 1000seat auditorium and space for the University. The site is a prominent location on the historic bridge approaches to Newcastle by rail and road and a strong form for the building has been generated from the DNA helix to demonstrate the purpose of the exhibition in improving public understanding of the DNA and genetics.

The £50 million building is part of a masterplan which regenerates the west end of the city building on the unique access from Metro and Rail  stations and the number of historic buildings by Dobson and engineering structures by Stephenson. Links by new pedestrian spaces are established with a number of other existing and proposed public uses including the National Dance Centre, Tyne Theatre, Discovery Museum and the Quayside.