Groups vie for pop centre job

A total of 26 consultancies are vying to design the first phase of the planned 15m National Centre for Popular Music.

The consultancies are to submit written proposals by next Friday. The chosen firm will receive 50 000 for three months’ work and is to be appointed on 10 May.

It will be expected to “develop briefs and budgets to form the basis for commissioning the exhibits”, and to choose a method to select “contracts leading to the delivery of the exhibition areas”, according to the centre’s development director Tim Strickland.

Further consultants will be commissioned, though “we’d like the stage one consultant to play a role throughout”, he adds.

The 26 groups include six previously revealed – 20/20, Richard Fowler Associates, Imagination, Red Jacket, Land Design and Met Studio (DW 13 October 1995).

The other 20 are Carter Wong & Partners, Casson Mann, Harper Mackay, Shelton Fleming, Event Communications, Creative Communications, Silver Knight, Conceptor, Media Projects, Chevron Communications, DJ Willrich, IDEAS, The Team, Pile Probert Kelly, Checkland Kindleysides, Barsby Prince & Partners, Langton Kaye, Stocks Austin Sice, WPA, and Themes, Heritage & Exhibitions.