MBI Al Jaber Auditorium Construction Underway

This spring saw the demolition of the New Music Room and preparation of the site for the construction of the MBI Al Jaber Auditorium, which has commenced following the departure of the students for the summer. The new building, which will house a 150-seat lecture theatre and two seminar rooms, will be completed by autumn 2009. At time of press, a ‘shock absorbing’ roadway was being constructed in the back garden to allow construction vehicles and equipment easy access to the building site while protecting the copper beech from damage from the resulting percussion and vibration.

The generous £1m gift of Mohammed bin Issa Al Jaber (reported in 2007) has since been supplemented by gifts from Mr Haruisha Handa (who also subsidised the Choir’s tour of Japan – see page X) for the installation of a rooftop garden, and in June the Wolfson Foundation made a gift of £100,000 towards the project.  The College was also delighted by the support of Professor Anna Balazs (Visiting Fellow, 2000), whose generosity will see a professional quality grand piano installed in the new Auditorium.