City Hall, Sunderland

The new building was commissioned to replace the old Sunderland Civic Centre which had been the home of the council since 1970.^[3] The council estimated that it would cost £5 million to refurbish the old civic centre and therefore decided to procure a new structure instead.^[4]

Construction of the new glass and steel structure started in November 2019.^[5] It was designed by FaulknerBrowns and built by Bowmer + Kirkland at a cost of £42 million.^[6][7] The development was financed by Legal & General as part of a larger programme of investment in the city totalling £100 million.^[8][9] The design includes two office blocks, one of five storeys and the other of six storeys, connected by a glass atrium, facing onto St Mary's Way.^[10] The total area covered by the building is 190,000 square feet (18,000 m²).^[11] The contractual arrangements envisaged some areas being made available to accommodate the housing provider, Gentoo, and the Department for Work and Pensions as well as Sunderland City Council.^[12]

Progress was delayed by two months because of the COVID-19 pandemic but recommenced in May 2020.^[13] However, the topping out of the building was completed by civic leaders in August 2020,^[14] and it opened to the public on 29 November 2021.^[2]