Sunderland’s Riverside car park opens

6500-space multistorey features striking illuminated façade

Sunderland Riverside’s new car park has officially opened its doors. The new multi-storey car park at Farringdon Row is now fully operational, having opened on a temporary basis to support Beyonce and Pink concerts in the city during May and June.

The 650-space car park was designed by award-winning architectural practice Tonkin Liu to act as a landmark building. It will be illuminated by night using a blue wave motif, with coloured displays occasionally being used to mark key moments and awareness days in the North East city’s calendar.

Cllr Graeme Miller, leader of Sunderland City Council, said: “Sunderland has a strong association with light, so it’s fitting that the new spaces we are creating as we transform the city centre should feature it so spectacularly in their design.

“There’s a quality to the design of our new buildings that points to the ambition we have for this city. We want our residents to see exceptional buildings, because we want to create an exceptional city. And that applies to every new space we create.”

Groundwork to prepare the area started in November 2022, with construction partner Sir Robert McAlpine and car park specialist Goldbeck Construction working on the main structure of the multi-storey, which will deliver parking provision to support the city centre, in particular people who will live, work and play at Riverside Sunderland as the development moves forward. Some 10,000 new jobs are expected to be created at Riverside Sunderland, with 1,000 new homes also set to be built and a range of new leisure developments including Culture House – a new interactive, immersive library – and Sheepfolds Stables, a food and drink venue on the edge of Stadium Park.

A new Eye Hospital, replacing Sunderland Eye Infirmary, will also be located on the Riverside Sunderland site, meaning spaces in the cashless car park will be well-used by residents, commuters and visitors.

Cllr Miller said: “With so many developments taking shape, new places to eat, drink and have fun, and office spaces that will welcome many thousands of people, it is important that we have the facilities to support our transforming city centre to realise its vast potential.”

It is hoped that extra car park capacity will reduce pressure on

Building walls of metal, plants and light

other city centre parking such as the St Mary’s multi-storey. The new car park will operate outside of normal working hours, to support the evening economy in the city centre, and will operate through a combination of prepaid permits and paid parking. Its position on the edge of the city centre, linked by the Strategic Transport Corridor to Sunderland communities, will also help reduce congestion in the heart of the city and by consolidating parking in one large facility the multi-storey will help to achieve a pedestrian-priority for Riverside Sunderland.

also designed the famous Tower of Light in Manchester.

The façade features perforated panels designed by Tonkin Liu. The perforations will form an abstract wave image on the side of the car park, complemented by a full height living wall on its lift and stair tower.

The façade was manufactured by Maple. Nearly 1,900 perforated panels that cover an area of 3,800 square metre and are anodised in silver to help bring the architect’s concept to life, and also protect against corrosive salty air. The coastal location also means that noncorrosive A4 stainless steel fixings havel been used.

The façade of Sunderland Riverside’s new car park combines metal, light and plants. The £14m structure on Farringdon Row will provide 650 spaces catering for the increased number of people who will live, work and visit the city.

The car park will be used by workers in new offices that will rise from the ground on the site in the coming years, as well as residents and visitors to the area.

The development will use controlled illumination to create a bright urban landmark, with an illuminated exterior designed by architects Tonkin Liu, who

The car park is Maple’s latest collaboration with car park specialist Goldbeck Construction, which had been sub-contracted by Sir Robert Maclaine.

The green wall façade was delivered by ANS, with whom Maple worked with on the new Victoria Square car park in Woking and an 800-space multi-storey for Chester’s Northgate development.