City Hall scoops duo of awards

Sunderland's City Hall has scooped a duo of honours at a prestigious property awards ceremony last week (19 May).

The newly opened civic hub, City Hall, has been named Commercial Development of the Year and also won a Design Excellence Award at the Insider North East Property Awards, which celebrate the best properties and people to emerge from the built environment sector over the last 12 months. 

The building was also named winner of the BCO Awards last month, which recognise exemplary design of workplaces.

Councillor Graeme Miller, leader of Sunderland City Council, said: "City Hall is a stunning building befitting of the ambitious place we are, and I am pleased to see it recognised in this way. 

"Awards like these are a great way of signalling the city's intent - to be the absolute best it can be with world-class buildings that are transforming Sunderland's city centre.  We're delighted to see this recognised."

City Hall was designed by FaulknerBrowns and constructed by Sunderland firm Bowmer + Kirkland, ploughing millions of pounds into the local economy.  The building is one of a number of large-scale development projects progressing in the city centre, part of an ambitious vision to double the residential population in the city centre and increase employment by 50 per cent and fuelled by the backing of Legal & General.

The council has started a phased return to the office for staff, with City Hall - which stands at the heart of the transforming Riverside Sunderland urban quarter - providing a flexible hub for council officers and members.  A range of people-focused services started operating out of City Hall last year, including the council's Customer Service Centre, with public-access computers available to enable residents to make benefits applications and access other online services from the building's open foyer.  The venue has also started to host weddings, as well as a range of other public and community events. 

The council has fully vacated the former Civic Centre, paving the way for its demolition, with plans afoot for the creation of a new residential community on the edge of the city centre. 

To stay up to date with progress at City Hall and other Riverside Sunderland developments, visit www.riversidesunderland.com or follow @RiversideSund on social media.