Carnegie Pavilion unveiled

10/12/2009

Leeds Metropolitan University and Yorkshire County Cricket Club’s (YCCC) new building has been unveiled.

The final bolt in the structure of the Carnegie Pavilion was tightened by cricketers and students at a ceremony to mark the progress of the structural work on the project.

YCCC’s Anthony McGrath and Jonny Bairstow joined Leeds Met students to tighten the bolts on the highest truss tip of the canopy designed by renowned architect Will Alsop.

The Carnegie Pavilion, a joint venture between the university and YCCC is a pioneering scheme to provide world-class media, hospitality, player and  teaching facilities.

The pavilion will operate as a teaching facility for tourism, hospitality, events management, media and journalism students during the academic year. The new building replaces the existing YCCC media and player facilities in the rugby stand at Headingley Carnegie.

It is due for completion in June 2010 in time to host the test match between Pakistan and Australia in July.

Dr Geoff Hitchins, chief executive of Leeds Metropolitan University, said: "The new development provides first class facilities for both the university and Yorkshire County Cricket Club. Our students will be studying in a state-of-the-art environment and learn through unrivalled practical experiences at the many events held at the stadium.”
 
Stewart Regan, chief executive of Yorkshire County Cricket Club, said: “The pavilion has been rising quickly at the Kirkstall Lane End and we cannot wait to move in as it is going to be a tremendous addition to the Headingley Carnegie Cricket Ground. The facilities available to the club and Leeds Met will be first-class and quite literally cements a partnership between the two organisations that has provided successful results for many years.”

This is Leeds Metropolitan’s second development at Headingley Carnegie Stadium following the opening of the Carnegie Stand in partnership with Leeds Rugby in September 2006.

The construction of the Carnegie Pavilion will cost £21m and is supported by Yorkshire Forward, Leeds City Council, HSBC, The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and Sport England.