Case Study: Culture House Sunderland opens its doors

How the House became a Home

Today, Culture House Sunderland opens and we couldn’t be prouder of what’s inside it.

Five years ago, we were asked to help with the audio-visual hardware for a new library. Within minutes it was clear: hardware wasn’t the answer. This building needed an experience.

So that’s what we designed. Not screens bolted onto walls but a whole building, working as one story:

• An atrium wrapping three floors in a seamless LED canvas
• A 360° Immersion Gallery with full spatial sound
• Wayfinding that’s part of the narrative, not signage on top of it
• A single content platform simple enough for Culture House’s own team to run, day to day, for years to come

We visualised it all in Unreal Engine before a single screen went in, then stayed embedded with the council, the architects and the delivery team from drawing board to opening day.

“Culture House needed an experience, not a set of boxes on a wall. Five years on, we’ve designed the DNA of a building that will outlive all of us. This is exactly the kind of project we set the studio up to do.”

Stuart McKenna, Managing Director

Culture House isn’t a one-off for us. It’s a preview of our belief in creating spaces that are living and ever-evolving; where people don’t just visit, but belong to and help author.

Huge congratulations to Sunderland City Council, FaulknerBrowns, Pure AV, A Ricoh Company and digiLED. We are honoured to have built this with you.