Newcastle's Mining Institute reopens after £8.9m revamp

24 July 2021

News image — The building was constructed between 1869 and 1872

The Common Room Mining Institute — The building was constructed between 1869 and 1872

One of Newcastle's most significant buildings has reopened following a two-year refurbishment.

The Mining Institute was built in 1869 and served as headquarters of the North of England Institute of Mining and Mechanical Engineers, which addressed safety issues and promoted research.

An £8.9m project has preserved its original features and brought facilities up to date.

Renamed The Common Room it will host events, weddings and exhibitions.

The Common Room The Wood Hall — The venue holds one of the most important collections of mining engineering materials and artefacts anywhere in the world

The reopening is being marked with a festival bringing together the business community, artists, families and young engineers, to celebrate engineering and innovation in the North East.

It will also highlight some of the female engineers whose stories have been overlooked in the past.

The Common Room Lecture theatre — The lecture theatre is modelled on the Royal Institution in London

Throughout summer there will be live science shows, and hands-on events for engineers of the future, including virtual welding and holograms.

The Common Room Postcard of the Mining Institute — The high-Gothic style building once hosted some of the greatest innovators in the world

The Common Room of the Great North was established in 2017 to manage the redevelopment and refurbishment of the Grade II-listed building following an award from the National Lottery Heritage Fund of £4.1m towards the initial project costs of £7.1m.

Due to disruptions caused by Covid, the cost has been revised up and now stands at £8.9m of which £1.2m is left to raise.

The Common Room Inside the library in the 1980s — What is now the Wood Hall served as a library in the 1980s

Liz Mayes, chief executive of The Common Room, said: "Opening the doors of this magnificent building, after its two-year closure [is] an amazing moment.

"It's one of Newcastle's most spectacular features and it is also the home of our rich engineering heritage, so it was vital that we preserved this space for future generations.

"I hope that people enjoy stepping inside... and feel a sense of the proud history of our region when they are here."