Big switch-on for multi-coloured Redcar Beacon marking completion of town's £30m seafront redevelopment

Friday’s light-up is part of a day-long event that includes the switching on of the Christmas lights and a high street concert.

The Redcar Beacon is set to live up to its name when its striking multi-coloured lights are switched on tomorrow, marking the completion of the town’s £30m seafront redevelopment.
Friday’s light-up is part of a day-long event that includes the switching on of the Christmas lights and a high street concert.

Energy-efficient lighting was specified as part of the original brief for Beacon and seafront development, delivered by the Environment Agency and Redcar and Cleveland Council.

The LED installation sweeps round the Beacon and runs along the seafront wall, around canopies of shelters, through water features and is incorporated in street lighting.
It can be programmed to reflect real-time weather, like rain, wind and waves, or seasonal events like Christmas.

An engineer from the designers will be on hand tomorrow to run a special launch sequence.
Children from schools across the borough, as well as the community hub Tuned In!, will be performing from around 10am in the high street tomorrow.
The Beacon and sea- front lights will be switched on at 4pm, during a performance by the One Voice Choir.

A short parade will take place along the high street to the tree by the town clock, before the town centre lights are switched on at 5pm.

Article from Gazette Live:
http://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teesside-news/big-switch-on-multi-coloured-redcar-beacon-6349322

Carbuncle Cup: Redcar Beacon avoids title of Britain's ugliest new building

Unenviable title of Britain's ugliest new building was awarded to a 465 Caledonian Road, student accommodation building in London

The Redcar Beacon

One of Teesside’s most controversial new landmarks has narrowly avoided being voted Britain’s ugliest new building.

Redcar Beacon, which welcomed its 100,000th visitor less than four months after opening, was shortlisted in the Carbuncle Cup, which aims to select the worst architectural projects in the UK.

The £1.6m beacon, centrepiece of a multi-million pound regeneration programme, was one of six nominations.

But the unenviable title was awarded to a student accommodation building in London.

Architecture’s wooden spoon for worst new building went to 465 Caledonian Road, which is said to offer “a prison-like experience for student residents”.

The winner of the annual prize, a humorous counterpart to the prestigious Stirling Prize for architecture, was unveiled by Building Design magazine.

Revealing the results, it noted: “One might imagine that an upside of our recent economic woes would be that fewer terrible buildings would be built.

“But to judge by the slew of nominations received for this year’s Carbuncle Cup, this hardly appears to be the case.

“Our jurors quickly identified two front-runners, but all six nominations richly deserved their shortlisting.”

They pulled no punches about any of the shortlisted buildings, including Redcar’s newest attraction.

This is what they had to say about the 80ft beacon, formerly known as the Vertical Pier: “Fresh from knocking down its best 20th century building – Ahrends Burton & Koralek’s 1971 Central Library – the Cleveland seaside town of Redcar played another blinder in the form of the Redcar Beacon.

Resembling nothing so much as the ArcelorMittal Orbit reinterpreted by a five-year-old in the medium of toilet roll and chicken wire, this viewing tower was inexplicably the winner of a RIBA competition.

Designed by Seven Architecture with project team leader Smeeden Foreman, it stands on the seafront and, as tends to be the way, the view from the top is lovely.”

Redcar Beacon, the centrepiece of a £75m regeneration programme, opened in March.
It’s been a hit with visitors, but there has been criticism of the cost and calls for a traditional pier instead.

Article from Gazette Live
http://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/carbuncle-cup-redcar-beacon-avoids-5816716

Redcar Council leader George Dunning defends Beacon

Council leader George Dunning used the Angel of the North as a example to defend the Redcar Beacon, he says the Angel was criticised at first.

The defense of the Redcar Beacon comes after it was shortlisted for national Carbuncle Cup.

He went on to say:

“We held a competition to re-design Redcar Seafront and the Redcar Beacon is part of the winning design," he said.

“We had more than 53 entries from professional architects as far as Iran, Italy, Sweden and the Netherlands.

“The final design was chosen with expert guidance from the Royal Institute of British Architects and after a great deal of public consultation.

“What came back from the public was that they wanted something new and something different - and the Redcar Beacon is certainly that.

“We wanted something unique that would form a center piece to the seafront project and one that would draw attention to all of the great things going on in Redcar.

“With more than 140,000 visitors in the five months since it opened we believe we have achieved that. 

“It has had its critics, but there were more than 16,000 objections to the Angel of the North, you’d struggle to find 16 now.”

Visit Gazette Live for the full article:

http://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/george-dunning-redcar-beacon-something-5755143

Redcar Summer Sound Music Night details, Redcar Race Course

Redcar Racecourse, Redcar Sat 31st August 2013

Over 5 hours of live music and entertainment from the UK's best tribute bands.

Date: Saturday 31st August 2013

Venue: Redcar Racecourse »

Location: Middlesbrough »

Doors: 4:00pm til 10:30pm (last entry 10:00pm)

Short url: http://skdl.it/12sna5F

 

Redcar Summer Sound Music Night details

Lineup and Details for Redcar Summer Sound Music Night on Sat 31st August 2013

Summer Sound... over 5 hours of live music from the UK's best tribute bands...
Oasis
Kings of Leon
Abba
The Beatles
Robbie Williams
plus support acts
Live Music, Food, Licenced Bars, Street Entertainers, Stalls, Funfair, Fireworks amd much more!
Hosted by Gary Philipson from Real Radio and International DJ Jon Jo Wilson.
☼ WHERE? - Redcar Racecourse
☼ WHEN? - Saturday 31st August 2013
☼ TIME? - Gates open at 4pm. Show starts at 5pm

Over 16's only. Under 18's must be accompanied by an adult.
8000 Capacity. Grandstand Bars, Food Hall and Champagne Bars

Advance Tickets ONLY £20
VIDEO WATCH IT!!!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3FmwwcL5a4

Music Genres:

Pop/Commercial, Rock

Redcar Beacon

IT'S STRAIGHT!

After weeks of speculation over thought sturctural faults with the Redcar Beacon, it was finally confirmed this week that in fact the Beacon dubbed the vertical pier is actually structurally sound. The rumour and whisper mongers had us actually believeing we were in Pisa.

As rumours of the Beacon leaning to one side spread like wildfire, Redcar and Cleveland Borough council called in the engineers who confirmed the building is fit and well.

A lot of our readers have commented that the building would bring a lot more visitors to the town if it did actually lean to one side! A seafront amusement arcade owner even had some fun by adding the Redcar Beacon onto a picture of the leaning Tower of Pisa.