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In 1994, Gateshead Council decided to rehabilitate rather than remove the landmark mill building, and they invited architects to submit ideas to convert it into a contemporary art gallery. Dominic Williams, of Ellis Williams Architects, London, won the competition run by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA).

Redesigning the Mill

Williams developed a simple concept: stacking four gallery spaces inside the existing structure, with escape routes in each of the four corners. His design retains the north and south brick facades of the old building and inserts the new structure of six main floors and three mezzanines within them. The new east and west facades are of aluminum and glass.

Williams's clever use of daylight throughout the scheme has been critical to the project's success. The east and west facades are hollowed out to allow light in, and there is a wonderful quality of light on every level. The design provides for glimpses between levels as well as for views out to the River Tyne.

The main two-story entrance area, known as the Riverside Building, houses restaurants and a retail area. It has a glass and curved aluminum roof that displays beautiful textures and colors. It has been kept deliberately low so as to not detract from the main structure.

The visitor is drawn into the building between huge weathered industrial Corten steel wings. Up through the glazed entrance ceiling is a dramatic view to the underside of the cantilevered viewing box at the fifth floor.

The materials used in the building — slate, concrete, stainless steel, weathered steel, wide-planked flooring — make a building that retains its industrial character externally but that opens its interior to the future.

The building accommodates 32,000 square feet (3000 square meters) of arts space, which includes artists' studios, five galleries, a cinema/ lecture space, a media lab, a library, an archive for the study of contemporary art, and a retail outlet.

The uppermost studio, the "High Art Space," is a 28-foot- (8.5-meter-) high gallery, lit by skylights. It is capable of housing very large-scale art shows, such as one by internationally renowned sculptor Antony Gormley, who is working with 250 local volunteers on a large piece commissioned specifically for the Baltic.

The third and fourth floors are given over to art gallery spaces of about 8000 square feet (750 square meters) each. T-shaped remnants of the original silo corners remain to form a cloister-like perimeter.

The five levels are served by open staircases set at the corners, and by three panoramic 21-person elevators that race up and down the west face, providing passengers views both into and out of the building. At the top is a glazed rooftop restaurant, which hovers above the uppermost gallery supported by a web of angular steel trusses.

A service elevator for artwork has a volume of 3700 cubic feet (105 cubic meters) and a load-bearing capacity of 10 tons (9000 kilograms). It is the largest of its kind in the United Kingdom.

Construction Challenges

Although the design concept is simple, construction was less straightforward. The transformation of the Baltic Flour Mills involved hollowing out the existing grain silos leaving only the north and south brick exterior walls in place.

To prevent the walls from collapsing during demolition, the entire structure, including the top, was wrapped in a temporary space frame. With the intricate scaffolding in place, the concrete silos were removed piece by piece.   >>>

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The Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art as seen from the Terry Farrell master-planned Newcastle Quays. Photo: Don Barker The "High Art Space," as seen from the art center's fifth level, is lit by skylights and provides a staging area for large-scale art shows. Photo: Don Barker Section looking north through the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art. Image: courtesy of the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art Daylight is used to stunning effect throughout the Baltic. Photo: Don Barker The glazed east and west facades offer glimpses of the neighboring bridges and historic riverside. Photo: Don Barker The cantilevered viewing box on the fifth floor offers views to the west. Photo: Don Barker The beautifully lit cantilevered viewing box offers spectacular views over Newcastle and Gateshead Quays. Photo: Don Barker Looking down the industrial staircase on the west end. Photo: Don Barker   Click on thumbnail images to view full-size pictures.