Client: Private Client
Value: £700k
Location: Newcastle upon Tyne

The works to create the new “Hard Rock Café” venue at Newcastle City Centre has been carried out within a fallow ground floor area within the existing listed building which used to be the Guildhall on the Quayside.

The works consisted of breaking out the existing concrete slab for new foundations to support a new structural steel mezzanine structure with timber floor joists and decking with specialist staircase with glazed balustrading to the staircase and around the mezzanine. New sleeper walls were installed at the front of the building to create a raised area level with the existing external pavement to provide level access to the new Rock shop and public toilet facilities.

New disabled toilet facilities were created on the lower area that is accessible via the Quayside / river access together with a new bar / restaurant / kitchen and back of house facilities together with a cellar and associated cooling.

New kitchen facilities were formed together with back of house preparation areas, wine storage areas and a refuse area were also created.

A new stage was formed and a sophisticated AV system stalled to cater for live performances within the Café.

Plant facilities / electrical switch room and staff toilets were formed on the first floor.

A new restaurant and bar area was created together with a Rock shop and further seating was created on the mezzanine with views over the river Tyne.

Memorabilia cases were installed throughout the front of house areas and on the mezzanine to accommodate the Rock memorabilia that will be on display throughout the new venue together with a sophisticated lighting schemes to allow the client to alter the lighting to create the right ambience required during various times through the day/evening and depending upon the offering at any given time.

Client: Tyneside Cinema

Date: July 2017 – September 2017

Value:  £85k

Location:  Newcastle upon Tyne

Works involved the isolation of all existing mechanical and electrical services.  A full strip out of all cubicles, sanitaryware, vinyl flooring, ceramic tiling and demolish internal walls to create new toilet layouts.

New ‘Mistral HPL Range’ toilet cubicles, IPS Panels and vanity units were installed complete with infra-red sensored motioned sanitaryware.  Flooring and walls finishes were replaced with ‘Vitra Gloss White’ ceramic tiling and final decoration.

State of the art appliances and full width mirrors spanning the length of the vanity units were installed to complete the refurbishment of the six toilets.

All the works were completed while the cinema continued to operate.  The client has confirmed that the ongoing works had no affect on takings.

Client: Tyneside Cinema

Value: £771k

Location: Newcastle upon Tyne

This project comprised the redevelopment of the former Barclays Bank unit adjacent to the existing cinema and provision of an art space and fourth screen on the third/fourth floor.  A new bar/restaurant was created within the ground floor and a new kitchen facility was crafted in the existing basement space, the former bank vaults.

The existing Tyneside Cinema building is Grade II listed. The site is land-locked within the heart of Newcastle upon Tyne city centre, and is surrounded by retail and commercial properties.

There are five bus stops on the short stretch of Pilgrim Street on which the site is located, with one of these situated directly outside of the former Barclays Bank unit. This stretch of Pilgrim Street is a bus-only highway between the hours of 7am and 7pm, therefore access to the site for deliveries and removal of waste was strictly limited to take place outside of these hours.

The cinema’s main entrance is on High Friar Lane, off Pilgrim Street. As the cinema continued to operate throughout the project, it was vital that the entrance was maintained without interruption during the works. Additionally, Intermezzo Café, located on the corner of the block and therefore surrounded by the cinema building at the side and rear, has a main entrance on Pilgrim Street which had to be maintained throughout the project.

A hoarding was erected to the frontage of the Barclays Bank unit early in the project. A hoarding license was granted by the council on the basis that it must not encroach upon or restrict pedestrian traffic on Pilgrim Street, particularly given the close location of the bus stop.

As the cinema continued to operate during the construction works, close management was necessary to ensure that noise did not adversely affect scheduled screenings. Noisy works were therefore restricted to outside of the cinema’s opening hours, which are 10am till 11pm daily.