A NEW music department at Sheffield University was officially opened by the city's Lord Mayor Coun Graham Oxley when he took a tour of the multi-million pound development.
Coun Oxley cut a red ribbon on his visit to the Jessop development in Portobello, Sheffield, which has been constructed by restoring the city's former Jessop Hospital for Women.
The project, which took several years to design and build includes th
e recently opened Soundhouse, a rubber-clad building, and two other buildings for teaching and study.
Academic bosses spent £33m on the regeneration and development work, to provide a new home for the institution's music department, which was formerly further away from the main campus.
The Soundhouse houses modern practice studios, rehearsal rooms and recording facilities and is completely dedicated space for staff and students in the department.
The neighbouring Jessop West building is designed to be energy efficient. It provides facilities for the University's Department of History, the School of English and the School of Modern Languages and Linguistics (SOMLAL).
Professor Phil Powrie, pro-vice-chancellor for the Faculty of Arts and Humanities, said: "The Arts and Humanities departments have been spread over the campus before now, but this new central site has allowed us to bring our three largest departments closer together.
"With the Department of Music moving into our recently renovated Jessop Building and the university´s Humanities Research Institute positioned opposite Jessop West, we have established a creative hub for the faculty, which is already benefiting both students and staff."
Coun Oxley added: "The new developments are a great addition to the Sheffield City landscape and bring the people in the faculty closer to the heart of the city. I am very impressed and pleased with the amount of care and work that has gone into these buildings, each unique in their own way."
