St George's Guildhall & Creative Hubs Main Contractor

The Guildhall site is managed by the Borough Council of Kings Lynn & West Norfolk (BCKLWN), also the client body for the refurbishment project, and owned by the National Trust. BCKLWN intend to procure the works via the Open Market. The works are to be procured via a two stage Restricted Procedure (Selection Questionnaire and Tender). The design will be completed up to RIBA Stage 4 with minor areas specified as Contractors Design Portion. The works are to be awarded to a single supplier. The successful contractor will work in conjunction with the Client/Design Team to discharge all planning/listed building consent conditions as part of the contract award whilst also undertaking the role as Principal Designer for the duration of their appointment. St. George’s Guildhall is a unique heritage asset with enormous potential to become a major visitor attraction and education resource, a landmark performance venue and a vibrant campus for culture, creativity, and local enterprise. As the largest surviving medieval Guildhall in the UK, the refurbishment project gives the opportunity to restore the historic and theatrical potency of this unique space. The ambition for the Guildhall site is to be a thriving heritage attraction by day, helping to tell the story of medieval Guilds in King’s Lynn and beyond, and the theatrical history of the site including likely performances by Shakespeare and Robert Armin. The site will cater for self-directed visitors, guided tours and educational groups with a varied programme of events, workshops and festivals. By night, the main Guildhall becomes an intimate and distinctive performance space for drama, spoken word, comedy, music and more for audiences of over 300 people, as well as other private hire events. The Undercroft, Fermoy Gallery and White Barn can be used for exhibitions, workshops and performances for more informal shows such as comedy, cabaret, band nights, open-mic or stand-up events. The Creative Hub aims to establish a flourishing community of local creative enterprises, craftspeople, artists, makers and start-ups housed in a range of re-purposed historic warehouses and barns, stretching from King Street to the Great Ouse. The refurbished White Barn has the potential to become a nationally recognised gallery space for touring exhibitions as well as local shows. A new foyer at the heart of the site in the north range and Red Barn contains a cafe bar to animate the whole site by day and night. The Riverside restaurant is retained and refurbished with new level access. The entire site aims to be an exemplar of sustainable heritage redevelopment and regenerative design with landscaped courtyards, biodiverse gardens and low-carbon building service systems.

The project has approved Planning Permission and Listed Building Consent. Details of the applications can be found at: online.west-norfolk.gov.uk/online-applications/… ↗.