Sunderland City Council is preparing to open Culture House in Keel Square, Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, in spring 2026 to provide a new home for the city library and creative workshops. This multi-purpose hub is intended to serve as a meeting place for the community while contributing to local economic and cultural activity.
The £27 million, four-storey building — designed by FaulknerBrowns Architects — includes digital making labs, libraries and exhibition areas. The project, led by Sunderland City Council, aims to give residents a central place to meet, learn and create in the heart of the city centre.
A large outdoor show called HOME will mark the opening, featuring professional dancers and community participants performing in Keel Square. The production is being created by Sunderland-based Southpaw Company (Southpaw Dance Company) under Artistic Director Robby Graham, and will celebrate Sunderland’s shipbuilding and glassmaking history while looking toward the city’s future.
The site for Culture House is on the south side of Keel Square, on the footprint of buildings demolished to make way for the development (including the former Corner Flag pub and neighbouring premises); Crowtree was used nearby as a site office and is not the building’s footprint. Culture House is part of the wider Riverside Sunderland regeneration and is working with 12 programme partners to deliver a year-round programme of events and workshops for all ages once it opens in spring 2026.
