NEWS
Coastal curtain call for SURGO
SURGO has recently completed work on the £8.5 million redevelopment of the Whitley Bay Playhouse which re-opened its doors to the public this month.
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The resulting 21st century cultural and entertainment venue is a key project in North Tyneside Council’s £64 million regeneration programme for Whitley Bay.
In recent years SURGO has worked on a number of sensitive refurbishments and it was this experience, along with close collaboration with project partners, the client and the local authority that paved the way for the introduction of innovative solutions including regular workshops to tackle the challenges as they arose - and this project created quite a few.
After carrying out enabling works, which included a complete strip out of the theatre, it was necessary to partially demolish the original façade. This has been replaced with an elegant, fully glazed entrance foyer. Internally the venue - now accessible to all - provides a greater degree of comfort for 640 people, with the addition of new toilet and changing facilities as well as upgraded front of house facilities, including bars.
Part of the way through the project, North Tyneside Council awarded SURGO with a further contract to carry out the external works and the technical fit-out.
Speaking about the project, SURGO’s director, Jeff Alexander, said:
“We are delighted to have worked on such an important project as the refurbishment of The Playhouse to create a modern hi-tech venue which has been lacking in the coastal region for some time.
Refurbishing an existing building, particularly one of this age and with such a constrained location next to a busy road and residential properties, always presents unforeseen obstacles and this building was no exception."
SURGO has also recently completed the £31 million state of the art Bede Academy in Blyth, its third academy project for the Emmanuel Schools Foundation.
