The National Glass Centre (NGC) was closed to the public on 31 July 2026.
The University would like to place on record its sincere thanks to the staff who have worked at the NGC over many years.
Despite a range of conversations with individuals and organisations, no feasible plan emerged to meet the significant financial requirement for capital works, or the c£800,000 annual subsidy funded by the University, required to provide the NGC with a viable future.
Throughout the process, the University has been clear that almost 90% of its income is derived from student tuition fees. In a period of significant financial challenge across the higher education sector, our priority has been to protect teaching, research and knowledge exchange activities for current and future students.
The University has remained committed to transparency in its decision-making and this will continue as we move forward, following all planning requirements in relation to the planned demolition of the building.
The University is gifting for free any specialist equipment currently in the NGC which Sunderland Culture would like to use in the planned Glassworks project or to establish interim glassmaking facilities for artists.
While the closure of the building marks the end of an important chapter, we remain committed to supporting cultural, educational and civic activity across Sunderland.
The reports below have been available to the public since 2023. They include the specialist external review commissioned by the University to assess the integrity of the building’s structure and the associated costings.
This report was an options viability appraisal to establish the future potential of the National Glass Centre and address ongoing maintenance issues. This report was received in July 2022.
Cost Estimate for National Glass Centre - Roof Feasibility (.pdf)(opens in new tab)
This set out the estimated total production costs for both future options and ongoing maintenance. A version was originally received in July and was updated to reflect updated design information. A final version was received in September 2022.
These reports were considered by the University’s estates and facilities staff and the University Executive. The findings were also considered by the Finance, Development and Resources Committee of the Board of Governors, before being taken to the full Board of Governors for a final decision in December 2022.