Sunderland Empire - Northern Construction Solutions Limited

Sunderland Empire Theatre

Northern Construction Solutions had an early involvement in their client’s tender preparation for this project, particularly in definining, understanding and planning the sequence of work.

Northern Construction Solutions’s involvement continued into the construction phase being contracted to carry out the underpinning and strengthening of the existing loadbearing walls to enable the subsequent removal of the existing understage/basement floors, etc.

Upon completion of the enabling and removal works a new understage floor and enlarged orchestra pit was constructed using reinforced concrete retaining walls and floors. The construction included the installation of a clay bentonite waterproofing system.

Running concurrently with the substructure works a sheet pile cofferdam was installed to enable a reinforced concrete basement structure on concrete piles for the new stair and link block to be constructed over the existing stage door loading bay.

After the structural steelwork erection Northern Construction Solutions constructed reinforced concrete floors and roof using permanent sheet metal decking.

Although the works provided the many challenges posed by an inner city redevelopment project on an historic building, the project was successfully completed in time to enable the Theatre to open to the general public on the required date.