The Gateshead Music Center in Newcastle, England

At 5 o:clock, on a Friday evening in 2001 many people gathered together to inaugurate an incredible building, designed by Norman Foster, in the English city of Newcastle.  More than fifteen thousand people attended the performances and events that celebrated the the Sage Gateshead opening.  This center for musical performance, education and conferences is about to celebrate its five year anniversary, or birthday.  This is located just outside of Newcastle, on the southern bank of the River Tyne.  The entire development is the Gateshead Quays, and includes the Millennium Bridge as well as the contemporary center for the arts, the Baltic Gallery.

There are three amphitheaters located within the Sage, the largest venue seating seventeen hundred, one that seats four hundred and a smaller hall used for rehearsal space and performances.  These three halls were the main focus of the design, and the rest of the building was constructed around the halls, in order to ensure the maximum potential for the acoustics.  The largest of the halls was designed after the Viennese hall, Musikverein.  The panels of the ceiling and the curtains may be move accordingly, to affect the structure of the sound and to cater to any form of music, be it rock or be it symphony.

The Sage is open during the day, to the public and the tourists coming from their Newcastle hotel of choice.  One may witness not only the spectacular performances during the evening, but can sit in on rehearsals, workshops and sound checks.  The building was designed to create an informal atmosphere, in the best possible way to really hear the sounds.  The center offers daily classes and workshops as well.  There are also five pubs and a cafe located within.  The facility also has a library on the grounds, also open to the public, which contains books and magazines that cover every aspect of music and the music business, as well as a library of recorded albums and CDs with listening stations throughout.  The birthday celebration will run through December 18 to the 20th, and is a must for music lovers in the city during the month of December.