Massive plans for Newcastle's historic Coronation Building revealed by record label giant Warner Music
Plans to open a “world class” recording studio on the Newcastle Quayside have taken a major step forward.
A planning application has been lodged for the conversion of the historic Coronation Building into a music production hub that it is hoped will provide a major boost to Tyneside’s cultural sector and the region’s aspiring talents.
The project was announced by record label giant Warner Music UK and music development agency Generator last year and has since been backed with £1.8 million from North East mayor Kim McGuinness.
The Coronation Building, which is owned by the Live Theatre, was named as the proposed location for the development in March. And formal plans to transform the grade II listed site have now been submitted to Newcastle City Council.
Documents lodged with city planners by the theatre and architects Xsite state that the intention is to “create the backdrop for world-class music production without needing to shout about it on the outside of the building”, which was built in 1903 for coal and timber merchants Pyman, Bell and Co.
The set out plans for podcast, music, film and photography studios and editing suites to be created within the building, which has been vacant since its last tenants moved out in June. It describes the development as a “launch pad for creative talent” within the local grassroots music scene and a “world-leading production and recording facilities”.
The application adds: “The project is a response to bolster the capacity in the North East for top level music recording facilities. Generator, the North East music agency, has established an excellent reputation through securing the MOBO Awards in 2024 and the Mercury Prize presentation later this year.
“Music promotion at both the highest and grassroots levels want to encourage the writing and production talent in the North East to see the region as a place in which to grow and nurture future stars of the music industry. This reflects Newcastle City Council’s and the North East Combined Authority’s published strategy to develop the music sector in partnership.”
While the Coronation Building’s facade facing onto the River Tyne remains unchanged, much of the building’s interior was lost in a 1980s refurbishment – with its entrance hall and staircase among the few remaining original features.