The Learning and Teaching Centre project for the University is expected to cost £29.1m. This includes £21.5m for building works, £7.2m for external works and £400 000 for post novation fees.

McAlpine has signed a pre-construction agreement and aims to start work on site by September 2017, once a final price is agreed in the second stage of tendering.

It would be the second win for McAlpine at the 24-acre Newcastle Science City site following the first flagship building called the Core, finished just over two years ago.

Bowmer & Kirkand is constructing the second major project known as the Urban Sciences Building for completion in September 2017.

The latest building will provide the University with additional lecture, teaching and office facilities and is to be designed to BREEAM Excellent when completed in July 2019.

Sheppard Robson designed building footprint takes the form of a quarter circle segment to incorporate a large auditorium

The four-storey building will boast a 750-seat high-quality auditorium that can be sub-divided flexibly to provide separate operational 500 and 250-seat lecture theatres and will be linked to the urban sciences building with a enclosed bridge clad in mirrored glass.

Two of the building’s three faces will be clad in aluminium coated metal mesh hexagonal units

The University is a lead partner in the Newcastle Science City initiative which promotes Newcastle as a city of science across the world.