Brims looks to busy 2020 as work starts on arts project

Brims Construction has started work on a new arts development in its home city of Sunderland as it looks forward to a busy 2020 with an order book of £20m secured so far.Paul Callaghan, chairman of Sunderland’s Music Arts and Culture Quarter (MACQ) trust, said Brims had won the tender to construct the city’s new arts auditorium based on its track record.The new £11m performance venue is at the heart of the city’s emerging cultural quarter, featuring retractable seating for 450 people with an 800-spectator standing area.This will be the second high-profile job Brims has recently secured in Sunderland after completing the new £9.5m 25,000 sq ft headquarters of online gambling business Tombola at Wylam Wharf.Brims has experience in the arts arena with its £5.5m four-storey office scheme Live Works, a creative hub and outdoor performance space on Newcastle’s Quayside, being recognised as one of the UK’s best buildings, by the Royal Institute of British Architects in 2016, and more recently as a BCO National Award winner.Other recent Brims contract awards include the £7m refurbishment of Neville Hall in Newcastle, as well works at the Nissan Battery plant, Blyth Sports Centre upgrade, the St James Gate Office refurbishment and the Royal Grammar School Sixth Form Centre.Architect Jason Flanagan has designed the auditorium. Flanagan was a project director for the Sage in Gateshead.