THE AMBITION is for it to become the “beating heart of the city”.

Southampton’s culture chiefs led a tour round the multi-million-pound arts complex that will be the jewel in the crown of the arts quarter and home to the Nuffield Theatre, the John Hansard Gallery and film specialists.

With an opening mooted for spring 2017 the Daily Echo joined the tour to see how well the venue is progressing as it works towards becoming the south coast’s landmark arts venue.

The £28.5 million Studio 144 - as the centre will be called - will bring together two of the city’s world class arts organisations, with capacity for 650 spectators, 600 sq metres of art gallery space and education rooms for film specialists City Eye. 

The development marks the next stage in the city’s status as a ‘cultural force’ in the south of England, with the goal of attracting 350,000 visitors a year.

As previously reported by the Daily Echo the complex will benefit from a £1.6 million central government boost to see it through the final stages of the build. 

The recently rebranded Nuffield Southampton Theatres (NST) will double their capacity with a flexible auditorium for theatre, music and dance, adding to their current base on the Southampton University campus.

The main theatre space will have 112 seats on the balcony, 330 downstairs and a pit with removable seats. NST director Caroline Roath described the 2017 programme as continuing with theatre but with more provision for music and comedy, and a roster of collaborations that will be completely unique to Southampton. 

Space will also be made available throughout the venues for informal lunchtime music gigs and room for the city’s “growing network of artists”.

The John Hansard Gallery, whose 1950s site at Southampton University will probably be demolished, will make the south side of the complex its home, with video walls in each of the four gallery spaces a shop and a three by three metre lift - big enough to bring up a car. 

The centre will employ 100 staff, have a joint annual turnover of £3 million, and according to Southampton city council, drive £21 million of visitor spends into the city a year. 

Culture boss councillor Satvir Kaur described the project as “the beating heart of the city”. She said: “In Southampton we can be a bit self-deprecating but we are trying to rectify that - and we want to make sure we bring everyone with us on the journey.” 

There will be rehearsal space, community and education rooms for local groups, as well as an editing suite and green screen run by education charity City Eye, who will also hire out their production facilities. 

Bids for the restaurant-cum-café-cum-bar which will have 80 covers have already gone out to tender.