Whitley Bay’s long-neglected beachfront ‘Spanish City’ has been restored to its former glory by architect ADP
Spanish City, the grade-two-listed funfair in Whitley Bay, North Tyneside, celebrated by rock band Dire Straits in their song ‘Tunnel of Love’, has reopened. The funfair had fallen into disrepair and lain empty for 15 years but investment from North Tyneside Council, the Heritage Lottery Fund and the Coastal Communities Fund, has helped fund the £10m refurbishment and extension by architect ADP.
The Edwardian building opened in 1910, 14 years after Blackpool Pleasure Beach, and originally housed a concert hall, restaurant, tearoom and roof garden, with a ballroom and funfair added in later years. Addressing the seafront, the 180Â ft-long domed structure was designed by architect Cackett & Burns Dick, design consultant J Coulson and structural engineer LG Mouchel.
The landmark dome, 75-feet-high and with a diameter of 50 feet, is supported on 46-feet-high concrete columns and comprises a reinforced-concrete shell with 12 internal ribs. Following removal of a later first-floor structure, it has been faithfully restored, while original features have been reinstated on the promenade elevation, while the upper loggia terraces on either side of the central arcade have been rebuilt to reflect the original proportions and enclosed with glass to allow year-round use. The new extensions provide additional facilities and support areas. Operator Kymel will run family and fine-dining restaurants, tearooms, event spaces and a champagne bar. The adjacent Empress Gardens have also been refurbished, with new footpaths allowing better accessibility, plus new street furniture and planters, grass and flowerbeds.
Contractor Robertson began the renovation works in September 2016 after North Tyneside invested £4m and secured a £3.5m grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund and £2m from the Coastal Communities Fund. Architect ADP drew on historical photos and drawings as reference where original details had been lost.
The refurbishment of Spanish City forms part of wider changes taking place along the seafront as part of the council’s £36m Whitley Bay Seafront Master Plan, intended to enhance the area for visitors, residents and businesses alike. Over its first two days of opening in July, Spanish City attracted 16,000 visitors.
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