Building and site description
The Sage Gateshead is one of the most important performing arts buildings in northern England, combining high-tech materials with a distinct shell-like exterior to produce a modern icon.
The Sage Gateshead sits along the River Tyne © wojtek gurak's, flickr.com
Designed by Norman Foster’s firm Foster and Associates in partnership with Arup Acoustics and with the help of many musicians and performing artists, the Sage Gateshead has only been open since 2004 yet has become one of the most recognizable buildings in the Tyneside area.
With the support of the Gateshead Council, who provided the site on the River Tyne, construction was begun in 2001 and finished in 2004. This was quite a turnaround from the original use for the site, which was an industrial wasteland.
The building was the first performing arts structure designed by Norman Foster, who is famed for his designs for 30 St Mary Axe (The Gherkin), the new Wembley Stadium, and the Millennium Bridge, all in London.
The Sage Gateshead was designed as three separate halls (Hall one, Hall two and the Northern Rock Foundation Hall) which do not touch, leaving gaps between the walls and ceilings for additional acoustic circulation. These gaps can be seen when standing on level one looking towards either side of the Northern Rock Foundation Hall.
Foster then designed a canopy to fit over the top of all the individual rooms and the concourse level, resulting in the unusual shell or cloud shape that can be seen from the outside.
The Sage Gateshead is designed to be a performing arts centre for all to enjoy, and has lots of different features that encourage visitors to explore the building. The Northern Rock Foundation Hall has a glass-panel front so that visitors can watch rehearsals and performances without interrupting the musicians.
Sometimes performances are held on the main level, known as the concourse (or level O), which is a huge public space that is complimented by several cafes and restaurants and the wonderful view out towards the Millennium Gateshead Bridge and Tyne Bridge.
Futurehead the music band, performing inside the venue © Whistling in the Dark, flickr.com
Quirky facts
- The building was constructed with a special type of concrete that contains extra air bubbles to help with sound-proofing and acoustics.
- The roof of the Sage Gateshead contains 3,500m2 of glass (equal to 8.3 basketball courts) and 3,043 stainless steel panels (equal to 2.2 football pitches).
- The building is over 40 metres tall at its highest point, which is twice as high as the Angel of the North sculpture by Antony Gormley.
Building highlights
The beautiful glass balustrade that runs the length of the concourse level is an impressive feat of artistic imagination. Designed by Kate Maestri, it is 200 metres long and weighs 8224 kilograms – that’s the same length as 611 violins, 15 grand pianos, or two Northern Sinfonia orchestras!
Using the Sage Gateshead as a teaching resource
As a specifically designed performing arts and cultural centre, the Sage Gateshead can be used to provide teaching and learning opportunities in a range of subjects, including English, music, art and design, and maths.
The site of the Sage Gateshead demonstrates the way an inner-city industrial wasteland can be transformed into a vibrant cultural space, bringing the community together in many ways.
The design of the Sage Gateshead itself utilized cutting-edge technology, mathematics, engineering and acoustic-design. Exploring the building’s many spaces can demonstrate how properly planned projects can produce truly outstanding high-tech results.
The organic curves of the glass paneling wraps around the building © smlp.co.uk
Teaching activities
Key stage 3: Art and design, citizenship
Imagine you have been invited to use the Sage Gateshead as a venue for staging a multicultural festival celebrating the diverse nature of modern life in the UK. This event could include performances, information stands in the Concourse and the serving of different national cuisines in the cafes. Develop your plan for the event, explaining how you would use the spaces within the Sage Gateshead to encourage visitors to learn about different cultures and communities within the UK.
Key stage 3: English, music
Write a short play or musical performance that could be staged in one of the main spaces in the Sage Gateshead. Use the design, history and setting of the Sage Gateshead to help you come up with your storyline: you might choose to focus on the idea of rebirth and regeneration, the power of music and performance to inspire and bring together communities, or even the unusual shape of the building itself.
Key stage 3: Design and technology
The Sage Gateshead uses intelligent and cutting-edge design to help amplify performances inside each room, soundproof the exteriors of the rooms to prevent noise interference, and to encourage the circulation and interaction of groups of people. Focussing on these aims, design your own performing arts complex.
Region
North east
Location
The Sage Gateshead
St Mary’s Square
Gateshead Quays
Gateshead, Tyne and Wear NE8 2JR
School access
The Sage Gateshead provides a range of half day educational programmes which include a tour of the building. Visit The Sage website for more details.
Related resources
If you are unable to visit the Sage Gateshead in person, you needn’t miss out – the Sage Gateshead website has a number of free resources, including:
The ‘Welcome to the Sage Gateshead’ downloadable brochure which contains many interesting facts and photographs.
The guided tours section includes maps and photos, whilst the virtual tours allow 360° views of the three main performance areas.
Photos of the building are included in the photo gallery, along with a number of facts about the construction of the venue.
Visit the Foster+Partners website for photos and video footage of the Sage Gateshead.
