Tyneside Cinema scoops trio of prizes at Renaissance Awards

Apr 25 2009 by Tony Henderson, The Journal

A REBORN cinema took centre stage last night at a ceremony which celebrated the best of North East building projects.

The Tyneside Cinema took a trio of prizes at the 2009 Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors North East Renaissance Awards at Newcastle Civic Centre.

The cinema in Pilgrim Street won the Building Conservation and Tourism and Leisure categories as well as the overall accolade Project of the Year.

Judges described the £7m project, which saw the cinema close for 18 months during restoration and development works, as “an excellent example of a building conservation project”.

They said it was “a successful commercial venture that has employed creative and innovative design to breathe new life into a leisure facility that is rare and in many ways unique – a project that is playing a regenerative role in the widest sense of the word”.

Jennifer Welch, Durham-based operations director for RICS North, said: “The Tyneside Cinema is a very worthy winner of all three awards. Not so long ago the building was past its sell-by date and its transformation has placed it as a firm jewel in the region’s cultural crown. The Renaissance Awards are now in their sixth year and provide an invaluable opportunity to celebrate and showcase the North East’s exceptional projects.