Plans in for 100,000 sq ft Science Central scheme

Plans for the first of two 100,000 sq ft office buildings earmarked for Newcastle Science Central have been submitted.Legal & General is behind the application, with international architectural practice Ryder Architecture having designed the site.The grade A asset will create workspace for more than 1,200 people working in the science, technology and the knowledge sectors.Clad in steel and glass in a nod to the region’s manufacturing and ship building heritage, Legal & General believe the building will be a “dramatic addition” to the Newcastle skyline which “promises to set the standard for the future phases” of the wider masterplan.Ryder Architecture was appointed to work on the project in March this year, with the announcement made at MIPIM. Newcastle City Council will manage and operate the building when complete.This first office building is due to be followed by a second, adding a further 100,000 sq ft to the site. The pair, along with The Core, have been designed to act as the gateway to Science Central.The area between the three buildings will also be transformed into a public square.Set to create more than 4,000 jobs, 500,000 sq ft of office and research space and 450 homes, Newcastle Science Central is one of the biggest urban regeneration projects of its kind in the UK. The aim of the development is to become a hub for scientific research and technology businesses.