UNVEILING: An artist's impression of the new complex.
Arts groups will today unveil plans for the £13m complex at the heart of Southampton's new cultural quarter.
The building is part of plans being considered by the council for the long-awaited transformation of the former Tyrrell & Green building in Northern Above Bar.
The £50m development would see the derelict department store demolished to make way for 282 flats up to 18 storeys high, and 116 underground parking spaces.
The John Hansard Gallery, Nuffield Theatre, Art Asia and City Eye are holding an exhibition to show the public what they will do with the arts complex on the lower floors of the towers.
The space will include a 370-seat performance area, 130-seat studio, 100-seat multi-purpose hall and one of the largest gallery spaces in the country, at 600 square metres, for "world class exhibitions".
Susan Beckett from City Eye, a community film-making outfit said: "It's about giving us the opportunity to say this is what we're planning'. We want people to get a sense of what will be going on."
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The exhibition will feature music performances from Art Asia, recent work from City Eye and a chance to record comments in a video booth, extracts from John Hansard Gallery's maritime-themed exhibition Crossings and performances from The Nuffield.
The council has put together a £13m funding package, including a £5.7m Arts Council grant, to pay for the 54,000 sq ft arts complex, although it still needs to find £1.6m through sponsorship
City Lofts, a developer specialising in "urban regeneration", bought the site from the city council for £7.25m and submitted plans last October.
The project is part of a wider masterplan for a cultural renaissance of the city centre.
The exhibition is being held today, from 11am to 4pm, at Southampton City Art Gallery in the Civic Centre.
Posted by: Condor Man, Southampton on 7:21am Sat 15 Mar 08
Cultural renaissance? most local residents wouldn't even know what that meant. This space was supposed to provide a music venue to eventually replace the Guildhall. If you look at the bands and comedians currently on tour how many of them bypass Southampton for either the BIC or the Portsmouth Guildhall?
It's elitest rubbish and no doubt on opening night all the snobs from the galleries will push out local residents as they always do on these occasions.
Cultural renaissance? most local residents wouldn't even know what that meant. This space was supposed to provide a music venue to eventually replace the Guildhall. If you look at the bands and comedians currently on tour how many of them bypass Southampton for either the BIC or the Portsmouth Guildhall?
It's elitest rubbish and no doubt on opening night all the snobs from the galleries will push out local residents as they always do on these occasions.
Condor man - right ! A chance to say what WE are planning, a sense of what will be going on ! At least in this country our failures are well planned. Is it British culture - no of course not, we are a beastly nation that must pay for all our past excesses. More brainwashing in the name of art.
Condor man - right ! A chance to say what WE are planning, a sense of what will be going on ! At least in this country our failures are well planned. Is it British culture - no of course not, we are a beastly nation that must pay for all our past excesses. More brainwashing in the name of art.
Posted by: Family Man, Bitterne on 7:48am Sat 15 Mar 08
282 flats 18 stories high, "Yes! - that is a real and meaningful cultural renaissance!" I suppose the 1650 flats and houses planned for the old VT site in Woolston is therefore at least 5 times more cultural...
282 flats 18 stories high, "Yes! - that is a real and meaningful cultural renaissance!" I suppose the 1650 flats and houses planned for the old VT site in Woolston is therefore at least 5 times more cultural...
What a load of negative readers you have. Never a positive comment, always critical. Well done council, at last something to be proud of in our city. Ignore the moaners who live ion a world of 'half empty'.
What a load of negative readers you have. Never a positive comment, always critical. Well done council, at last something to be proud of in our city. Ignore the moaners who live ion a world of 'half empty'.
Under ground carpark, another place for drugdealers and rapists to hang out.
Won't take long for it to stink of urine and the walls to be covered in Graffetti, oh thats art sorry.
Under ground carpark, another place for drugdealers and rapists to hang out.
Won't take long for it to stink of urine and the walls to be covered in Graffetti, oh thats art sorry.
Posted by: dave, millbrook on 9:49am Sat 15 Mar 08
Why build more city centre flats noone wants? Why is there no venue for bands? Just a load of elitist crap that about 0.1% of Southampton's population will be interested in.And what does Soton City Council do with the tens of millions they get from 106 payments every year?
Why build more city centre flats noone wants? Why is there no venue for bands? Just a load of elitist crap that about 0.1% of Southampton's population will be interested in.And what does Soton City Council do with the tens of millions they get from 106 payments every year?
I do wish people would get it into their thick skulls how and why these sorts of developments happen.
If it wasn't for the flats being built, there would be no art space. The council doesn't have the money to fund any major developments or enhancements to the city itself. Unless of course YOU want to give them more council tax? No, thought not.
So, the only way we will get more arts, leisure and sports facilities in the city is if they are done in partnership with developers who want to include housing/flats/shops or cinemas in the development.
This is how it works in the vast majority of cases around the country.
Would you rather have something like this on the site or just let the site rot as it has done for the last 10 years and become an increasing eyesore??
I do wish people would get it into their thick skulls how and why these sorts of developments happen.
If it wasn't for the flats being built, there would be no art space. The council doesn't have the money to fund any major developments or enhancements to the city itself. Unless of course YOU want to give them more council tax? No, thought not.
So, the only way we will get more arts, leisure and sports facilities in the city is if they are done in partnership with developers who want to include housing/flats/shops or cinemas in the development.
This is how it works in the vast majority of cases around the country.
Would you rather have something like this on the site or just let the site rot as it has done for the last 10 years and become an increasing eyesore??
Posted by: Financial controller on 12:00pm Sat 15 Mar 08
[quote][bold]Real World[/bold] wrote:
I do wish people would get it into their thick skulls how and why these sorts of developments happen.
If it wasn't for the flats being built, there would be no art space. The council doesn't have the money to fund any major developments or enhancements to the city itself. Unless of course YOU want to give them more council tax? No, thought not.
So, the only way we will get more arts, leisure and sports facilities in the city is if they are done in partnership with developers who want to include housing/flats/shops or cinemas in the development.
This is how it works in the vast majority of cases around the country.
Would you rather have something like this on the site or just let the site rot as it has done for the last 10 years and become an increasing eyesore??
[/quote] Part true, but the Council is often cutting the grants to run the venues. What is the point of capital expenditure if then venues can't then be run.
The Nuffield had various grants cut.
Real World wrote:
I do wish people would get it into their thick skulls how and why these sorts of developments happen.
If it wasn't for the flats being built, there would be no art space. The council doesn't have the money to fund any major developments or enhancements to the city itself. Unless of course YOU want to give them more council tax? No, thought not.
So, the only way we will get more arts, leisure and sports facilities in the city is if they are done in partnership with developers who want to include housing/flats/shops or cinemas in the development.
This is how it works in the vast majority of cases around the country.
Would you rather have something like this on the site or just let the site rot as it has done for the last 10 years and become an increasing eyesore??
Part true, but the Council is often cutting the grants to run the venues. What is the point of capital expenditure if then venues can't then be run.
iv said this before many times, all everyone does on here is complain-i for one am for this idea. itll be nice to see it be trnasformed into something good to look at instead of the crap there is now. please-if anyone sane is reading this the people that are complaining do not represent the the whole population of the city. this is why portsmouth currently is doing good-becuase people like to see developments happen and are veru open to plans. southampton people are too fickle and whinge too much.
iv said this before many times, all everyone does on here is complain-i for one am for this idea. itll be nice to see it be trnasformed into something good to look at instead of the crap there is now. please-if anyone sane is reading this the people that are complaining do not represent the the whole population of the city. this is why portsmouth currently is doing good-becuase people like to see developments happen and are veru open to plans. southampton people are too fickle and whinge too much.
Posted by: Get it right, Hythe on 12:57pm Sat 15 Mar 08
[quote][bold]mr s[/bold] wrote:
iv said this before many times, all everyone does on here is complain-i for one am for this idea. itll be nice to see it be trnasformed into something good to look at instead of the crap there is now. please-if anyone sane is reading this the people that are complaining do not represent the the whole population of the city. this is why portsmouth currently is doing good-becuase people like to see developments happen and are veru open to plans. southampton people are too fickle and whinge too much. [/quote] If the quality of your grammar and spelling is anything to go by, you probably wouldn't support high culture in the proposed centre...
mr s wrote:
iv said this before many times, all everyone does on here is complain-i for one am for this idea. itll be nice to see it be trnasformed into something good to look at instead of the crap there is now. please-if anyone sane is reading this the people that are complaining do not represent the the whole population of the city. this is why portsmouth currently is doing good-becuase people like to see developments happen and are veru open to plans. southampton people are too fickle and whinge too much.
If the quality of your grammar and spelling is anything to go by, you probably wouldn't support high culture in the proposed centre...
[quote][bold]paul b[/bold] wrote:
It will never happen, however if the people all got together, we could maybe get an Ice Rink[/quote] Ice rink, good idea, shame that will never happen either!
paul b wrote:
It will never happen, however if the people all got together, we could maybe get an Ice Rink
Ice rink, good idea, shame that will never happen either!
Posted by: Condor Man, Southampton on 5:16pm Sat 15 Mar 08
To my knowledge there is a public art gallery above the central library which is free to the public. Why we need more dead space is beyond me, apart from it justifying 200 flats with only 100 parking spaces.
If people really want to see change in their city it's time to vote out elitist snobs like Vinson and vote in people who will provide decent services at proper prices- oh, didn't Vinson et al just stab them in the back?
To my knowledge there is a public art gallery above the central library which is free to the public. Why we need more dead space is beyond me, apart from it justifying 200 flats with only 100 parking spaces.
If people really want to see change in their city it's time to vote out elitist snobs like Vinson and vote in people who will provide decent services at proper prices- oh, didn't Vinson et al just stab them in the back?
[bold]SOUTHAMPTON IS THE ONLY LARGE TOWN ON THE SOUTH COAST WITHOUT A BUS STATION. THIS IS THE 21ST CENTURY, SO HOW ABOUT GIVING US A BUS STATION.[/bold]
SOUTHAMPTON IS THE ONLY LARGE TOWN ON THE SOUTH COAST WITHOUT A BUS STATION. THIS IS THE 21ST CENTURY, SO HOW ABOUT GIVING US A BUS STATION.
[quote][bold]Bob[/bold] wrote:
[bold]SOUTHAMPTON IS THE ONLY LARGE TOWN ON THE SOUTH COAST WITHOUT A BUS STATION. THIS IS THE 21ST CENTURY, SO HOW ABOUT GIVING US A BUS STATION.[/bold] [/quote] They attract the lower classes, im pleased we got rid
Bob wrote: SOUTHAMPTON IS THE ONLY LARGE TOWN ON THE SOUTH COAST WITHOUT A BUS STATION. THIS IS THE 21ST CENTURY, SO HOW ABOUT GIVING US A BUS STATION.
They attract the lower classes, im pleased we got rid
Posted by: Duh, Southampton on 12:31am Sun 16 Mar 08
Agreed!
We don't want a bus station. I think I'd rather have empty flats.
The more buses we have means the more chavs can get into the City Centre.
Why use a bus anyway? Plenty of parking spaces for our fuel gusslers. Park em up spit out some emissions, come on, be like the Government. Oh and don't forget, whilst your revving your engine so as to pollute the atmosphere, don't forget to pop into John Lewis. Our Government have said we all have £22,500 to spend on furnishing our homes!!!
Happy Shopping!
Agreed!
We don't want a bus station. I think I'd rather have empty flats.
The more buses we have means the more chavs can get into the City Centre.
Why use a bus anyway? Plenty of parking spaces for our fuel gusslers. Park em up spit out some emissions, come on, be like the Government. Oh and don't forget, whilst your revving your engine so as to pollute the atmosphere, don't forget to pop into John Lewis. Our Government have said we all have £22,500 to spend on furnishing our homes!!!
Posted by: COndor Man, Southampton on 3:28pm Sun 16 Mar 08
[quote][bold]Duh[/bold] wrote:
Agreed! We don\'t want a bus station. I think I\'d rather have empty flats. The more buses we have means the more chavs can get into the City Centre. Why use a bus anyway? Plenty of parking spaces for our fuel gusslers. Park em up spit out some emissions, come on, be like the Government. Oh and don\'t forget, whilst your revving your engine so as to pollute the atmosphere, don\'t forget to pop into John Lewis. Our Government have said we all have £22,500 to spend on furnishing our homes!!! Happy Shopping![/quote] My MP (Test) told me that he spends the least amount of our money for every MP in the county! shame I won't be voting for him
Duh wrote:
Agreed! We don\'t want a bus station. I think I\'d rather have empty flats. The more buses we have means the more chavs can get into the City Centre. Why use a bus anyway? Plenty of parking spaces for our fuel gusslers. Park em up spit out some emissions, come on, be like the Government. Oh and don\'t forget, whilst your revving your engine so as to pollute the atmosphere, don\'t forget to pop into John Lewis. Our Government have said we all have £22,500 to spend on furnishing our homes!!! Happy Shopping!
My MP (Test) told me that he spends the least amount of our money for every MP in the county! shame I won't be voting for him
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