Buildings of Distinction - The Forum - Norwich

Buildings of Distinction - The Forum - Norwich

Jun, 14 2025


For the past 24 years the people of Norwich, Norfolk, have been utilizing The Forum. A state of the art building designed primarily for public events and festivals whilst the exterior caters for live performances.

Let us discover more by watching this 4 minute 40 second robot presentation –

As seen in the film The Forum is fronted by a glass façade with a surrounding brick wall and inner steel frame supporting a glass and zinc panel roof. Incredible investment considering it rose from the ashes of the terrible fire that destroyed the previous building.

In its initial planning stage The Forum was named New Technopolis and would contain the following –

  • A library
  • Underground car park
  • Multimedia auditorium
  • Tourist information centre
  • Business and learning centre
  • Ticket shop
  • Catering area
  • Public square in front of St. Peter Mancroft Church.

The project was to be supported by a grant of £31 million from the Millennium Commission and would be undertaken by the Norfolk and Norwich Millennium Bid Company Ltd.

In 2003, The Forum received the Urban Design Reward from the Civic Trust Awards and the RIBA regional award in the east in 2004.

Despite winning several awards, The Forum has faced some criticism for its use of materials and has been likened to a shopping mall and airport terminal. This hasn’t stopped countless people attending events and live shows as it remains the central entertainment venue in Norwich.

Some of these attractions include ‘Origins’ – spanning three floors in the building and gives visitors the opportunity to discover the history of Norfolk and Norwich.

Interestingly, The Forum was part of the Norwich 12 – an initiative by the Norwich Heritage Economic and Regeneration Trust (HEART) to develop 12 landmarks in Norwich into heritage attractions.

Throughout its longevity it’s been host to a number of established concerts and events including –

  • Dragon Festival
  • The 2021 Feastival – a produce and food event
  • The Norwich Science Festival

The area in front of the building, simply known as ‘Millennium Plain’ – is designed for public events, performances, live music, festivals and exhibitions.

For more information you can visit the following website link –

https://theforumnorwich.co.uk/

It’s also worth noting that in 2013 The Millennium Library was voted the most popular library in the UK for the seventh year running, receiving 1,273,416 visits. Jennifer Holland, head of Norfolk Libraries, credited the library with having “well-maintained book stocks” and an ability to “stay relevant”.

The Royal Family as strived to stay relevant in the modern world and there are no doubt many historical books of them in the library. But when the late Queen opened the building back in 2002 she was impressed with it and gave it considerable praise.

RIBA described The Forum as an “architectural tour de force and major contribution to urban cultural and social life in Norwich”.

So the next time you visit Norwich pay a visit to The Forum. You may not be greeted by an AI robot but you will have an amazing time regardless with friends and family enjoying live events and performances. Or you may simply prefer some downtime in the library. Whatever your circumstances you can be assured the glorious Forum will always be engaged with the interested public.

 ^Alex Ashworth CCG UK Blogger